


Vampire!Ianto - Children Of Earth

by missthingsplace



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Children of Earth Fix-It, Complete, M/M, Rating: NC17, Series, Vampirism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-12 03:26:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 51,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1181333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missthingsplace/pseuds/missthingsplace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The whole thing set in my own vampire!Ianto universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> AU wrapped around canon.

 

**Title:** Vampire!Ianto - Children Of Earth - Day One - 1/2  (Major spoilers)  
 **Author:** missthingsplace  
 **Parings/Characters:** Jack/Ianto, Gwen  
 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood but i have kidnapped the characters until RTD fixes the mess!  
 **Summary:** The whole thing set in my own vampire!Ianto universe.  
 **Spoilers:** Spoilers for whole of COE  
 **Warnings:** Slash, language, vampirism  
 **Rating:** NC17  
 **Notes:** AU wrapped around canon.  
 

 

  
[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/manage/pic?id=9)

A/N 2 A early happy birthday to [](http://angstosaur.livejournal.com/profile)[**angstosaur**](http://angstosaur.livejournal.com/)

Jack could feel the sensations flooding through his body as Ianto buried his teeth in his neck, very aware of his cock swelling inside the vampire's arse as he rode him, legs wrapped tightly around his waist as they held on tight to each other in the middle of the bed.  
  
Gasping loudly as Ianto fed on him Jack moved his hands down to Ianto's hips as they straddled his own and thrust upwards, encouraging Ianto to meet each thrust with his own until he could hold back no longer.

With a loud yell the captain came hard, his come shooting upwards, deep into the vampires body as he felt Ianto's own orgasm, the muscles of his arse clenching around his cock and his come coating their bellies.

Resting his forehead on Ianto's as the vampire removed his fangs from Jack's neck and looked into his eyes Jack smiled softly.

“That is one feeling I will never tire of.”

“Most definitely a plus side of being a vampire.” Ianto grinned back.

“We should clean up, work to do.” Jack grumbled, not wanting to move.

“Yep.” Ianto agreed, moving to steal a lingering kiss.

*

“Come on Tyler, Tyler just stop it, I don't have time to much around.” The woman said to the boy who was stood rooted to the spot and seemingly oblivious of her. “All right, I'll just leave you there, is that what you want?”

Gwen glanced over her shoulder at the pair as she used the cash machine in the street, turning her head as he heard a man speaking to a girl who appeared to be acting in the same manner.

Unbeknown to her there are children all over Cardiff copying their lack of movement or coherence, holding up the traffic, stood still in the street, sitting silently in their homes until they suddenly all seem to snap out of it and act like nothing happened.

*

“Anyone in?” Gwen called out as she walked through the cog door and into the darkness and turned on the lights. “Are you two having shenanigans in the dark?”

“Jack?” She said out loud as she climbed the stairs up to the workstations, saying morning to the picture of Tosh and Owen at her workstation and then typed in 'Children' in their search engine.

*

“Sorry, we did everything we could but he didn't make it.” The young doctor at the hospital told Jack and Ianto.

“That's a shame.” Jack replied sadly.

“Very sad.” Ianto added.

“Poor old Mr Williams.” Jack agreed.

“Very sad indeed.” Ianto replied.

“There will have to be an autopsy, but I'd say he heart gave out.” The Doctor said.

“Brave old heart.” Ianto replied.

“You were neighbours, is that right?” The doctor asked.

“We lived next door.” Jack said as he placed a hand on Ianto's shoulder, Ianto nodding in agreement.

“He's got no family to speak of, all on his own. We just keep, keep and eye on him, you know.” Ianto added.

“Well, I'm sure he appreciated it.” The doctor replied. “If only there were more like you two in the world.”

“I know it's an imposition but with us being such good neighbours ... can we see the body?” Jack asked.

The doctor led them though to where Mr Williams lay covered with a sheet.

“Bless him.” Jack said sadly.

“God rest his soul.” Ianto added.

“Say, do you think we could, just on out own, um ...” Jack said as he kept up the act of the grieving friend and neighbour.

“'Course you can, just come and find me when you're done.” The doctor told them. “I'm sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” Jack replied.

As soon as the doctor left them, pulling the curtain closed behind him the moved closer to the body, pulling down the sheet that cover Mr Williams.

“He thought we were together, as a couple, he said you two.” Ianto said as he opened a case they had with them, laughing it off with a smile “The way he said it, you two.”

“But we are, does it matter?” Jack asked.

“Don't know, it's all a bit new to me, that's all.” Ianto replied, looking unsure how to react.

Ianto handed Jack the laser saw and Jack proceeded to make an incision down the man's body, then asked for the tongs which Ianto handed him. Lowering them into the man's body Jack manoeuvred them about until he gripped something between them and pulled out a dark red mass the size of a football.

“There!” Jack exclaimed as the doctor reappeared, a look of shock on his face at the thing the captain held with the tongs. “Now look at it, that's not human is it? Does that look human? No it does not. It's just a hitch-hiker he picked up, didn't kill him.”

“Some say they're positively beneficial, they release endorphins into the blood stream. He died a happy man and I've got Tupperware.” Ianto said as he pulled out a plastic container.

“And we're very considerate.” Jack told the doctor as he placed the alien into the plastic box. “W e don't leave any mess.”

Jack used the laser saw to reseal the man's body closed so that it looked like there had never been an incision.

“Thank you very much.” Jack said to the doctor as he walked from the room, Ianto following him with the case telling him they'd get out of his way and rushing from the room.

“Wait a  minute, wait a minute.” The doctor called as he ran after them, following them into the car park.

“Whatever it was, it was mutilation, I should report you.”

“Then why don't you?” Jack replied.

“Well, that thing, what the hell was it? That hitch hiker?”

“Try putting it into a report.” Jack told him as he and Ianto climbed into the SUV.

“You're Torchwood.”

“Never heard of them.” Jack said, trying to ignore him.

“There are bodies going missing.”

Jack opened the window. “How many?”

“The city talks about you.”

Jack and Ianto glanced at each other and them Jack looked back at the doctor. “What bodies and where?”

“It started two months ago, bodies taken down to the mortuary and then the records just stop.” He explained. “Five in two months and none of them white, one of West Indian descent, one African and three Chinese all male.”

“What was your name again?” Jack asked.

“Rupesh, Rupesh Patanjali.”

“What do you think?” Jack asked Ianto.

“NHS”

“Yeah, too much red tape. Sorry but good luck with it.”

“Don't go, wait a minute.” Rupesh called out to them as they drove away and left him standing in the car park.

*

The young black woman got off the bus and ran down the street and into the large while building, following the man in front of her as she looked desperately about trying to find her way.

*

The man spotted the man in uniform, exclaiming “Oh Christ.” A his secretary bid him good morning.

“Morning to you to.” The gentleman in the UNIT uniform said as his secretary continued to speak.

“Colonel Oduya for you sir, unscheduled. I'd remind you you've got the category meeting at quarter past .”

“You better come though.” He told the colonel as he indicated his office and followed him inside.

“I'm late, I'm sorry, oh my god I'm really really sorry.” The young black woman said as she finally reached her destination.

“Good morning.” The secretary replied with a smile. “Bridget Spears.”

“Lois, Lois Habiba.” She replied, shaking the offered hand.

“Right, this will be your desk.” Bridget told Lois, leading her to it.

*

“Just tell me it's something small, it's a meteorite or a shadow on the moon.” John Frobisher said. “Just for once, tell me it's easy.”

“Might be nothing sir, but it's my job to inform the government even if it turns out to be a false alarm.” Colonel Oduya replied, taking a seat.

“And what is it?”

“Children sir, it's the children.”

*

“You are going to get us killed.” Ianto said light heartedly as he and Jack entered the hub.

“Neither of us can technically get killed, we're both immortal.” Jack laughed.

“Oy, chuckle brothers.” Gwen said as they walked past her. “

“Well, I want you to do a check on St Helens hospital, percifically the morgue.” Jack replied.

“Well, there's a computer, do it yourself.” Gwen told him as Ianto chuckled. “There's has been reports of seventeen road traffic accidents all across the country from Glasgow to St Ives.”

“Is that above average?” Jack asked.

“Well, they all occurred between 8.40 and 8.41, seventeen road traffic accidents all happening in exactly the same minute and every single one of them involving children.”

“That'll be the school run.” Ianto replied, moving to another computer.

“All of them just standing in the road.” Gwen told him. “Not crossing the road, just standing. Saw it myself Jack, Two kids on Market Street, they were ... well they just stopped.”

*

“But the accidents are just one part of the picture, because every other child stopped at exactly the same time.” The colonel said. “And not just in Britain, same report in France.”

*

“Same report from France, fifteen road traffic accidents, all timed around 9.40, an hour a head so it was simultaneous.” Ianto told the other two.

“All of them were children?” Gwen asked.

“Yep, hold on, still cross referencing.” Ianto told her as he typed on the keyboard. “There we go, reports of RTA's coming in from Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg.”

*

“Germany, India, Guiana.” The colonel continued.

*

“Spain, Portugal, Bosnia, Tokyo.” Ianto read out.

*

“Singapore. At 8.40 GMT most of America was asleep, but even there we're beginning to get reports.” The colonel said. “I think we can assume it's all of them sir, as far as we can tell at 8.40 this morning every single child in the world stopped.”

*

“See anything like this before Jack?” Gwen asked.

“No way, kids.”

*

“Until we receive further information we don't know if it's extra terrestrial origin 'tho the united nations have taken UNIT up to yellow alert just in case.”  Oduya said.

As Lois enters the room bearing coffee mugs Frobisher changes the subject, she hands one to each of them, introduces herself, telling them that she there to help Miss Spears while the sort out the new computer system. and then leaves the room again.

“You have two daughters, it that right?” The colonel asked.

“Maybe I should get them home from school?”

“I'd be careful sir, I wouldn't do anything to draw any attention. Right now this things random enough to go unnoticed and if anyone files a news report, we'll be crushing it. But so far we're the only ones with the software clever enough to peace this all together, well, us and Torchwood.”

“Do you want me to talk to them, they're a pain in the backside but they can be helpful?”

“We're onto them right now.”

*

“Okay, find out anything, let me know immediately.” Jack said into his mobile, disconnecting the call and then talking to Gwen. “Of all the times for Martha Jones to go on holiday, I get Sargent grunt, I'm talking to a Sargent.”

“Don't you dare all her, she's on her honeymoon.” Gwen replied, pointing her finger at him. “What did they say?”

“UNIT base in Washington has run some tests on a couple if kids brain scans, blood sugar, checking for radiation.” Jack replied as Ianto smiled and ran away across the hub. “Nothing.”

“You were right, he's back.” Ianto told Jack.

Jack laughed. “I said so.”

“Who's back?” Gwen asked as they all move to the computer monitor Ianto had been using and there on the CCTV footage is the young doctor from the hospital wandering around the Plass holding a file.

“What's he doing?” Jack asked Ianto.

“Waiting, just like you said. He's been there twenty minutes.”

“Persistent”

“Good sign.”

“Dogmatic.”

“Always a plus.”

“Oh Christ, not only a couple you talk like twins.” Gwen grinned. “Now tell me who he is?”

“ Rupesh Patanjali, he saw the hitch-hiker, he's the bodies going missing man.” Ianto replied.

“Doctor Patanjali, we need a Doctor.” Jack added.

“And you just let him follow you?”

“Ask about Torchwood and most people just point towards the bay.” Ianto replied.

“Oh.” Gwen chuckled. “You bastards. That's exactly what you did to me the first time we met, well sod that, I'm promoting myself to recruitment officer.”

“She's calling us a couple now.” Ianto said as Gwen left the hub.

“What's your problem?”

“Just saying.”

“I hate the word couple.” Jack replied, walking away.

“Me too.” Ianto called out after him.

Jack walked up to his office feeling low, he didn't have a problem at all with the word couple only having said it as it was the second time that morning Ianto had reacted negatively to them being called one.

Was Ianto scared of being labelled as being his partner? Did he not care for him as much as he cared for the vampire? They were both immortal, it wasn't like one of them could lose the other to death easily. Maybe he was scared of being in love again after what Katherine had done to him all those years earlier.

Jack had no idea, but he knew they would need to resolve it soon if they were to stay together, he just needed to find the right time to have the conversation.

*

Gwen headed up to the Plass and introduced her self to Rupesh, reading his file and talking to him about the missing bodies. They talk about their pay and he asks about what it's like in Torchwood, about how over the last few years everyone's seen the aliens.

And then Gwen realises that it's happening again and calls Jack to come up to the Plass as it's happening again. All over the country the children have stopped. Ianto video's them as they start making an awful howling noise and then finally speak.

“We ... We .. We ... We ... We ... We are ... We are ... We are coming ... We are coming, We are coming.”

“Oh my god!” Gwen exclaimed.

*

After taking a call  Frobisher rushed from his office and out to Bridget, asking her who's got children, telling her to find him a kid now.

*

The nursing staff at a care home ran through the building and outside where a man is acting in the same manner as the children, repeating 'We are coming.”

Then again, all the kids and the on man turn back to normal and act as if nothing happened.

Jack, Ianto and Gwen ran back to the tourist office along with the doctor, Jack asks him where he thinks he's going and he tell him he doesn't know, thought he could help but his pager went off and he had to leave for the hospital.

*

Bridget and Lois were fending off calls for Frobisher when a man turned up and said he wanted to see him and Bridget headed into his office, telling him that Mr Decker is there to see him. Mr Decker just walked into the office and sat down.

“456. I warned you.”

*

Jack is on the phone to the home office, wanting to talk to Frobisher but he got Lois who has never heard of Torchwood. He leaves a message for her to get Frobisher to call him.

Lois did a search for Jack on the computer and it comes up as classified, so she loged in using Bridget's user name and password.

*

Frobisher went to Thames house with Mr Decker and he took him into what appeared to be a storage area, to show him the machine that picked up the transmissions by the 456. He played him a few seconds of a recording and told him that they are working on translating it.

*

“So, I think it's a transmission, a pulse, a broadcast.” Jack said.

“Like the mosquito alarm, the one that only the kids can hear.” Ianto replied.

“Something unique to prepubescents.”

“Maybe testosterone interferes with the signal and oestrogen ...”

“No no no ... hold on.” Gwen interrupted. “We're being dimbo's, we're missing the bleeding obvious here.”

They move to the monitor where Gwen is stood.

“Recorded in Taiwan, point being anyone?”

“It's English.” Jack and Ianto reply together.

“Exactly.” Gwen replied. “So every single child in the whole wide world is speaking English, so whys that?.”

“I guess if you scan the world from the outside you'd registar English as the dominant language.” Jack frowned.

“Actually that would be Chinese, well, Mandarin.” Ianto told him.

Gwen discovered that as well as every single child speaking in unison there is also one man. Timothy White, who is a patient in a psychiatric ward in a hospital in East Grinstead. Gwen called Rhys to tell him she can't make the house viewing they were meant to go to as she's going to see the man from the video and he's already guessed that she's involved with what's going on.

Rhys tells her he has worked out that it's been timed around British hours.

*

Jack and Ianto are sat on steps by the Plass.

“Lunch time, this place should be buzzing with kids.” Jack said.

“Everyone's taken them home.”

“We need a child, 'cos we need to test those frequencies, find the right frequency and we can find out who's transmitting.”

“Where do you get a child though?”

Jack got up and went to walk away. “See you later.”

“Where you going?”

“Now who's a couple.” Jack snarked and walked off.

*

Frobisher went to see the Prime Minister and suggests that certain events are removed from the records, giving Britain a clean sheet so to speak. Frobisher tells him they'll have to issue a blank page and hope the 456 stays quiet about it to cover themselves.

The Prime Minister says no, that he wasn't a part of it, his name wasn't to be on it but he didn't tell him he could do it.

*

A woman opened her door in response to the bell ringing and it's Jack.

“Ah, I thought so.” She smiled.

“Good to see you, how's things?”

“Terrifying.”

“Uncle Jack.” A boy called out, running to him.

Jack lifted him up into his arms. “Stephen, hey soldier, how you doing?”

“I was talking like an alien, everyone way.”

“Better come in.” The woman said as Jack carries Stephen into the house.

*

Ianto parked the SUV on what appears to be a council estate and lets himself into one of the houses.

“Only me.” He calleed out.

“Oh bloody hell, we must be in trouble, or is it Christmas?” A woman said to her daughter who's playing a game on the TV.

“How are they?"

“Yeah, it was a bit of a scare, I brought them home just in case.” She replied. “I reckon it's that group hysteria thing like when lots of girls all faint at the same time.”

“I was thinking, I missed Mica's birthday, thought I could take her to McDonald or something?”

“£3.95, you big spender.”

“Alright, cinema.”

“Yeah, that'd be nice, you'd like that wouldn't you Mica?”

Mica nodded.

“I thought maybe this afternoon?”

“No chance, what about Saturday?”

“Kinda busy on Saturday.”

“You're a civil servant, they don't work weekends, they invented weekends and I'm not having her going out, not today, not with all that voice thing.”

“You know I wouldn't let any harm come to her, I can protect her.” Ianto protested.

“I know, but I just want her home, safe with me.”

“Right, fine, just an idea, I won't bother you.”

“That's it is it, you're just going to go now?”

Ianto just looked at her.

“Oh sit down you daft sod. We've got things to talk about.”

“What things?”

“You've been seen.”

Ianto frowned.

TBC  
 


	2. Day One - Part 2

“It said on the news that we should send them back to school tomorrow, do you think it's safe?” Alice asked Jack.

“I don't know anymore than you.”

“Oh come on.”

“I don't.” Jack huffed. “Any word from Joe?”

“In Italy, with her, he finally got married. But he phones every now and then and ... sends Stephen postcards. Remembers his birthday, there are worse fathers.”

“How are you off for money?”

“Don't worry about that, you give me enough.” Alice paused. “Kind of easy writing cheques, huh?”

“Alice, you're the one who asked me to stay away, I'd come round here every week if you wanted me to, every day.”

“Yeah ... I just can't stand it dad, I look older than you do and it's never going to stop. I get older and older and you stay the same. One year you'll be standing at my funeral looking just like you did when you were standing at mum's. No wonder she was so furious, you make us feel old.”

“Actually I found a grey hair.”

Alice laughed. “Well, that is the end of the world.”

“Are you ever going to tell him?” Jack asked, looking at Stephen.

“What do I say, that you're his grandfather?”

“Well, he's too young to notice right now, that I don't age. But one day he's going to realise.”

“And that's another good reason for you to stay away.”

“I suppose.” Jack nodded. “I could make the most of it while he's still young, take him out, buy him stuff, me and him sort of thing.”

“You mean today?”

“While I'm here, may as well.”

“You bastard.” Alice said, shaking her head. “Something happens to kids and you want to spend time with him on the same day. You are not experimenting on the boy dad, ever. That's why I want you to stay away, because you're dangerous.”

Jack left his daughter’s house and pages doctor Patanjali, telling him he needs a kid.

*

“Susan on the corner was in town and it was her anniversary so they went to that posh French place in town by the memorial and there was you.”

“So?”

“And there was you, having dinner, with a man in a restaurant.”

“So, you have dinner with Tina.”

“Not in town. Susan said he was gorgeous. Like a film star, like an escort.”

“He's my boss.”

“She said it was intimate. I said well he's had girlfriends and she said no girl was getting her feet around that table, no chance. Have you gone bender?”

“Mica's hearing this.”

“She's not bothered, her friends got two mothers. Go on.”

“He is very handsome.”

“You're kidding me? Christ almighty ... so when did you start seeing men? And why keep it a secret, I mean surely it's nowhere near as such a thing to hide like being a vampire.”

“Shhh, Mica.”

“She's not listening.”

“I've lived a long time, Rhiannon.”

“And that means you decided to sleep with men?”

“Is this any way to speak to your great great grandfather?” Ianto asked with a grin making her chuckle.

“Is he the first?”

“Yep. There's just something about him, only him. Jack”

“Is it good?”

Ianto blushed. “Yep.”

“Well, that's all that matters then, isn't it you daft sod.”

“I didn't say, because I don't really know what we have yet ...”

“I won't say a word, not if you don't want me to.”

“Thank you.”

“So, you've been together a while, you're a couple?”

“I don't know. I'm not sure I like that word.”

“What about Jack?”

“He says the same.” Ianto replied a little sadly.

“I think it sounds like you both need your heads bashing together.” Rhiannon chuckled. “He knows, what you are?”

“Of course.”

“Aren't you scared that you'll lose him one day?”

“No.” Ianto grinned widely. “I'm not the only immortal in Cardiff.”

“You turned him?” Rhiannon asked, a little horrified. He had told her long ago he would never do that to anyone.

“Nope, he's immortal in an entirely different way. We are made for each other.”

“So you are a couple then?”

“Rhia!”

“Okay, okay.” She laughed.

“Eye eye gay boy! Seems you're taking it up the arse.” Johnny said as he walked in. “Mica get off that thing.”

“Thanks.” Ianto told Rhiannon as he got to his feet and Johnny hugged him.

Ianto's eyes flashed silver in warning. “I'm fine.”

“Hey, no need for that.” Johnny replied, letting him go. “I won't say another word.”

“Good!” Ianto grinned, giving him a flash of his fangs.

“Hey, whose car is that outside, black thing?”

“Oh, that's the company car.”

“You want to watch it on this estate.”

“Oh it's fine, top of the range, it's got a triple dead lock.”

“Sounds like it.” Johnny replied, as the sound of the cars alarm pierced the air and Ianto ran outside.

“But it's got a triple dead lock, they can't have.” Ianto groaned.

“'Cos what do it see, they drive round the block and then they come back for a lap of honour.” Johnny told him.

“We should phone the police.”

“No, it's more fun this way.” Johnny said handing him a brick.

Johnny threw bricks as it sped past as Ianto yelled, using every ounce of self-control not to turn even though his reflexes as a vampire would help get the SUV back. “That's my car.”

*

Gwen watched the man they had named as Timothy White on a monitor with one of the staff at the mental health unit.

“Timothy White. 52 years old. He's been with us three months. But he's got a history of being in and out of care all his life.” The nurse told her.

“Timothy White's. My mum used to shop there.” Gwen smiled at her.

“Well, if he's got a different name, he's never said. He spent 40 years living in Leeds, that's where he first came on record. Found homeless, living on the streets, at the age of 11.”

“11, bloody hell.”

“No-one ever reported him missing. Apparently though, he did have a Scottish accent, back then. Gone now, but he was a long way lost.”

*

“Can you remember the voice? You said, "We are coming." Can you remember why? D'you know what I think it was? Aliens.” Gwen asked him.

Clem looked at her, then looked away fast as Gwen tried to maintain eye contact with him.

“There's no such thing.”

“Those days are gone. I don't mean to scare you, because you're perfectly safe, but I think aliens are using you to speak. What d'you think?”

“No such thing. Isn't it, isn't it?”

“I've met aliens. It's part of my job. But I'm not the authorities, or the police, or the army. So anything you say is just between me and you. And I will believe you.”

“Give me your hand.”

Uncertain Gwen tried showing her hands above the table, showing that they were empty. She pulled them back and then offered one to him a little uncertainly. Clem grabbed it and pulled it to his face, sniffed it loudly once and then a second time. Pulling her hand away, he followed it across the table, before changing his mind.

“You're telling the truth.” Clem exclaimed, surprise evident in his voice.

“How can you tell?”

“I can smell it. You've...met them?”

“Dozens of them.”

“Still not safe. Isn't it, isn't it? They're watching.”

Clem looked to blinking light on security camera and then back to Gwen, looking at that camera.

“Well, I can do something about that.” Gwen told him as she pulled something from her pocket. “Shhh, shhh” She told him as she pressed a button and the camera light went out.

“What's that thing?”

“The technical name is a ‘gizmo’.”

Clem laughed loudly. “Isn't it?”

“I think you've seen aliens too. What's your name? What's your REAL name? When did you last say your name?”

“Never.”

“Then tell me.”

“I was a kid.”

“What happened?”

“They took us out. In the night. In the dark. Isn't it? Isn't it? They told us, they said we were going to a new home.”

“Who did, who said?”

“The staff.”

“A care home?”

“They drove us away for miles and miles. They were there. In the sky.”

“What did they look like?”

“Light.” Clem replied. “The light... took them.”

“Took who?”

“My friends.”

“But not you?”

“I ran. There was something, there was people, there was…” Clem said, “Isn't it, isn't it, isn't it, isn't it?”

“You're all right, you're safe. OK? You're safe now.”

“ But they're coming back. I've been smelling them for months. In the air. Long time coming.”

“Tim, I can help. Look at me. I can help. If kids went missing, something's got to be written down and I will find it. But to do that, I need to know your name.”

“I was Clem. Clement MacDonald.”

“Hi, Clem.”

Gwen shook his hand.

“Hi.”

“Where were you from? It was somewhere in Scotland, do you remember?”

“Holly Tree.”

“Holly Tree, now then is that a town, or a place, or...?”

“The Holly Tree.”

“The Holly tree, Is that where it happened? Clem? Was it? What was the Holly Tree? What was the Holly Tree?”

Clem sniffed again loudly. “You're pregnant.”

“Sorry?”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I don't think so.”

“Yes. I can smell it. Three weeks.”

“Oh... Bloody hell, I've been running. That camera's gone off, it just went dead! Still. No harm done, eh?” The nurse said as she burst in. “Everything all right?”

“Yes. I'm fine, thank you.” Gwen replied.

“Right, well, I think you've had long enough. Time for your meds, isn't it, Tim? If you don't mind.”

“No. Not at all.”

“Congratulations.” Clem told her as she turned and left.

Gwen walked out into the car park with her phone, talking to Ianto.

“Ianto, I need a search on Clement MacDonald, could be M-C or M-A-C, and try the words 'Holly Tree’ and Scotland. We're looking at the 1960s, got that?”

Gwen completely ignored Ianto telling her that he’d lost the SUV. Unknown to them their call was being intercepted and they're conversation listened to by the armed forces who are now trying to track down Clem.

*

“You'll find the names under 456.” Frobisher told Bridget.

“And what d'you want me to do?”

He handed her a beige folder and she opened it to find the black sheet of white paper inside. Eyes wide, she closed it again, and left to do what she had to do. Moving to her workstation, she quickly typed something, then left her desk again.

Lois nervously logged onto her own computer, under Bridget’s username and password. She was shocked to find an email, addressed to no one.

Subject Blank Page  
To:

ORDER TO KILL

Colonel Michael Sanders (ret.d)  
Ellen Hunt  
Captain Andrew Staines  
Captain Jack Harkness (active)

*

Jack zoomed into the hospital car park in a blue sports car and into a parking space, climbing out as Rupesh ran across the car park to meet him.

“I promise, we can zap these kid's memories so they won't remember a thing, no side effects.” Jack told him.

“But there's been another death.”

“Mr Chow Lee Jee, Chinese again. He came in with a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. Next thing you know, it's been diagnosed as a brain haemorrhage, he died at 16.25.” Rupesh told him, leading him into the mortuary, telling the other man in the room. “Sorry, he's with me. Dr Patanjali, A&E. We just need to check Mr Chow Lee Jee”

“Well, he hasn't gone missing.” Jack observed

“I can see that.”

“Need to run a toxicology scan. Not on the NHS, we've got much better equipment. Pupil's blown, that corresponds with a brain haemorrhage, though it could be induced artificially. No sign of trauma to the skin, apart from bruising, but that's ... Jack said, but before he could finish Rupesh pulled out a gun and shot him in the back.

Jack fell to the floor dead.

Shaking Rupesh yelled “Get them in. Seal off the area.”

Rupesh slumped against the wall as a lot of men in black clothes ran into the room, carrying lights and biohazard tape so they can seal the room, picking up Jack they lay him on the morgue table followed by a woman dressed much alike also in black.

“Who changed the plan? I spent months researching that. And they believed me! Perfect infiltration, I thought you wanted me inside Torchwood to see what they've got in there.” Rupesh asked her.

“Who killed the Chinese man?” She retorted.

“I did, I had to, it was perfect timing, he just fitted the story.”

“Then get off your high horse, yeah? Any sign yet?”

“Not so far. D'you think it's true? What they say about him?”

Jack let out a huge gasp as he came back to life, before he could even draw his second breath she shot him dead again.

“He was dead.” Rupesh said

“Now he's dead again. And we'll keep killing him till he's ready. Get him prepared.” Johnson replied.

“Yes, Ma'am.” A man in a hospital uniform replied.

“How the hell does he do it?” Rupesh asked.

“No-one knows. Theory would suggest it's connected to the Torchwood Hub. That Rift thing. Which makes the whole place a target.” She replied as they pushed Jack's shirt up.

“What changed the orders?”

“The children.”

With that she pulled out a laser saw and made an incision in Jack's belly.

*

A black Jeep pulled up outside the mental hospital, Clem sniffed the air worriedly and looked up into the camera above him before running and escaping out the back of the hospital.

*

“Everybody out! Put him back where he was.” Johnson ordered as she finished seal Jack back up.

“He's gonna wonder where I've gone. How are we gonna cover that?” Rupesh asked her.

“How d'you mean?”

“Well, he's gonna try and trace me.

“You're not disappearing.”

“Yeah, but I've got to, he's gonna...” Rupesh began before realising what she meant, then turned and ran from the room and down the corridor.

Stepping calmly out the room and holding her gun she shouted. “Sides”, aimed, fired and Rupesh fell down to the floor dead.

The soldiers carried Rupesh's body back to the morgue and place him beside Jack, leaving quickly, seconds before Jack gasped back into life again, turning over to find Rupesh dead beside him.

*

“Result! There was a Holly Tree Lodge just outside Arbroath. It's a hotel now, but, up until 1965, it was a state-run orphanage. And they had a Clement MacDonald!” Ianto said as Gwen walked into the hub.”

Paying Ianto no attention, Gwen walked straight past him and into the autopsy bay, getting out equipment as Ianto continued talking to her.

“He was taken into care, April 1965, after his mother died. No father on record. In November 1965, he was transferred, along with... Oh.”

Putting her hand on the flat bed scanner, Gwen tilted her head and stared at the projection of the wall of the autopsy bay, focusing on the red blip in her pelvic region.

“We need damage control at St Helen's. One body. Dr Rupesh Patanjali. Shot in the back.” Jack said as he walked through the cog door.

“What happened?” Ianto asked.

“I don't know. He was just left there right beside me. Like someone's gloating.”

“Did they kill you?”

“Yeah.”

Ianto moved forward and hugged him, whispering something in his ear as he kissed him on the neck before releasing him again.

“Maybe we're being targeted. Whether it was him or me, we should be careful, better tell Gwen.”

“She's back, she's in the lab.” Ianto told him.

“Gwen!” Jack called as he walked across the hub.

“Boy, have I had a day.” Jack said as he walked up to the railing above the bay and stopped dead at the sight of the projection. “Oh, my God. Is that...?”

Taking her hand off the scanner, Gwen just stared at the wall as Jack walked down the steps.

“How long?” Jack asked.

“Three weeks.” Gwen whispered.

“That's good, isn't it?” Jack replied as they looked at the wall again.

Gwen just looked at him like she was in shock.

“From where I'm standing it... looks good to me.” Jack said.

“Yeah. Bloody hell. It's brilliant!” Gwen said as they both broke into smiles.

“Ianto! We're having a baby!” Jack yelled out.

“Have you told Rhys?” Jack asked her.

“I've only just found out myself.”

“Oh, you told me before you told him, he is gonna love that.”

“Congratulations.” Ianto told her, smiling as Gwen stood looking at the image on the wall as if in shock.

“Would now be a good time to tell you I lost the car?” Ianto asked Jack.

“You did what?!”

“That is just bloody spectacular! But what about this place, and my job?” Gwen asked.

Jack put a reassuring hand on Gwen’s.

“We'll manage. We always do.”

The scanner scanned both their hands, causing a siren to go off loudly.

“What the hell is that?” Gwen asked.

“Oh, my God!” Jack exclaimed as a red blip appeared in the projection of him with the one of Gwen on the wall.

“There's a bomb. There's a bomb inside your stomach.” Ianto panicked.

“Get out.”

“No.” Gwen yelled at Jack.

“Both of you.”

“No.” Gwen told him again.

“Right now.”

“It has a blast radius of one mile.” Ianto told them.

“Right now, get out.” Jack ordered.

“Look, there must be something we can do. Look we can stop it. We can fix this OK, we can rip it out of you.” Gwen argued.

“I'm telling you, get out.”

“It's active. Two minutes.” Ianto replied.

“I can't just run Jack.” Gwen argued again.

“You're pregnant.”

Gwen stared at him, stepped back and then ran.

“LOCKDOWN” The automated voice of the hubs system announced.

“Ianto, you'll get locked inside.”

“TORCHWOOD LOCKDOWN” The system announced as the cog door closed solidly.

“Ianto, then you ...” Jack said as he grabbed Ianto and dragged him across the hub.

“There must be a way to override the mechanism.” Ianto yelled.

“For gods sake, get out!”

“They'll be nothing left of you, I can't leave. What would I do without you?”

“I can survive anything.” Jack argued with the vampire.

“Have you ever been blown apart before?”

“No, but ...”

“I'm not leaving, if you die, I die with you. I know the explosion would kill me, even a vampire can't survive that.”

“No, you're going. I won't let you die for me!”

Jack bundled Ianto onto the invisible lift, swinging him around and kissing him intensely before letting him go and pressing buttons on his wrist strap. As the lift rose they maintained eye contact for as long as possible.

“I'll come back, I always do.” Jack shouted and closed his eyes.

TORCHWOOD LOCKDOWN

TORCHWOOD LOCKDOWN

The explosion ripped through the hub, blowing it apart. Outside, Gwen was thrown to the ground as fire exploded from the Hub.

TBC


	3. Day 2 - Part 1

The lift was still more than a couple of feet from the top of the hub when Ianto heard the bomb inside Jack go off, he didn't have time to think too much about how Jack had just been ripped apart below when the force of the blast threw him upwards high into the air and back down again, unconscious among the resulting rubble.

*

Gwen got to her feet, the fire raging all around her as she ran across the Plass towards the huge pile of rubble intent on finding her friends, unprepared for the two paramedics that grabbed her. She shouted and struggled with them as she tried to get free.

“Let me go, let me go.” She shrieked as they lifted her off her feet and carried her to the ambulance.

“Hold her down! Control said no survivors.” One of the paramedics told the other.

Gwen fought against the man holding her down, fighting against him with all her strength as the other prepared a syringe Biting down on the arm of her captor Gwen freed herself as he yelled in pain, punching him hard between the legs she grabbed a canister and bashed the other man with it, first in the stomach and then around the head.

With them both now unconscious she took their guns, and moved to the back of the vehicle, looking out of the ambulance door she spotted the red light of the gun aimed at her and leapt from out of the doors firing both simultaneously at the shooter. Landing hard on her back didn't hinder her, she was soon back on her feet, firing back before climbing into the cab of the ambulance and driving away fast from the Plass as one of the paramedics toppled out the back.

*

Pain shot through Ianto's body as he came too and tried to move, every muscle in his body seemingly aching as he forced himself upwards. He knew from the pain that he had broken more than a couple of bones when he had been thrown into the air but his body had made a good hob of healing itself, one good thing about being a vampire he thought as he pulled himself clear of the debris he gasped in horror at the fire that raged around him. One of the few things that could kill a vampire.

Stumbling Ianto fell to the ground again, his arm missing a flame by millimetres, yanking it away quickly as he felt the burning heat on his skin he scrabbled to his feet again. Changing his direction slightly and began to climb over the rubble, picking his way though as he took care to stay on his feet and as far away from the flames as possible.

As soon as he reached the top he spotted the red light, panicking a little he glanced around not sure which way to run, the bullets couldn't kill him but they could incapacitate him and there was no way he could let that happen.

Ianto ran, sprinted as fast as he could across the devastation the bomb had left in it's wake as bullets rained down all around him, trying to find cover, trying to not let thoughts of Jack cloud his mind as he ran knowing the sniper was probably hot on his heels.

*

“Sorry, I've got to take this.” Frobisher told his wife as the phone rang.

“Work? After what just happened?” She asked.

“Because of it. They're okay now.” He replied. “Get yourselves to bed now and don't worry.”

“Hello?” He answered the phone.

“Target one eliminated, two and three have escaped but we're in pursuit.” Johnson replied.

“What went wrong?” Frobisher asked.

“They got lucky, but they won't get far.”

“We can't have witnesses, call me when you've got them and make it quick.” He told her as he cut the call.

A knock at the door followed a moment later, opening it he found Mr. Decker standing there, turning to his family who are about to go upstairs he spoke to his children.

“Off to bed.” He told them, a little more cheerily than he certainly felt.

“I've got the translations.” Mr Decker told him.

Frobisher just nodded slightly and let him in.

“Instructions. Specifications for something they want us to build.” Decker said, handing a think pile of sheets of pater to Frobisher. “We haven't got much time to do it in.”

“When they can communicate like this, this kind of detail. Why do the thing with the children?”

“Because they can. And because they want to scare us.”

*

Pulling the ambulance to a screeching halt Gwen grabed both the guns from where she put them on the seat beside her and climbed out the cab, moving around to the back and confronting the remaining paramedic.

“Who do you work for?” She asked as she climbed into the back.

“Who do you work for?” She repeated as she put the barrel of her gun to his forehead.

“NHS.”

Gwen fired a shot of warning into the floor of the vehicle and yelled. “Who do you work for?”

“You tried to kill me, my friends, my friends could be dead so don't think I won't use this.”

“The government, I'm working for the government, I just follow orders. That's all.”

“We're on the same side?”

Reaching up suddenly the paramedic grabbed for Gwen's gun, fighting him off she shot him in the foot causing him to let go with a loud scream of pain.

“Why would the government want to destroy Torchwood?”

“Why?” She shrieked louder when he didn't reply.”

“I just do as I'm told, I'm just following orders, that's all.”

“Please come in.” A voice came of the ambulance's radio as Gwen held the gun to his shaking, lowering it at the sound she turned and left him and the vehicle and ran.

*

“Jackson, keep the police back.” She announced herself as she arrived at the site of the explosion.

“If she anti terrorist, I would not mind being uncle terrorist.” Andy said to a fellow police officer.

“Get some backup, two escaped suspects. Ianto Jones and Gwen Cooper, armed and dangerous.” Jackson told two soldiers as she walked with them towards Andy.

“I know Gwen Cooper, she's an ex police officer, not a terrorist.” Andy told her.

“Haven't you got tape to tie?”

“I'm just saying you're barking up the wrong tree, that's all.”

“I want their homes raided.” Johnson told a soldier.

“Gwen Cooper is not a terrorist.” Andy told her again as she walked away.

“You must know where she lives.” She replied, stopping again.

*

Bursting through the front door into her flat Gwen turned on the light and startled Rhys out of sleep.

“Get up! Now! We've got to go.”

“Bloody hell Gwen.”

“Get up, get dressed, we've got to get out of here.”

“What's going on man?”

“Listen, someone is trying to kill me and if they're after me they're going to come after you now get up and get dressed.”

“What?”

“Rhys faster, faster.” Gwen shouted at her husband as she rushed around the flat.

“Alright, alright.” He replied, dressing.

*

“Down to the bottom, take a left.” Andy told the driver of the Jeep, sandwiched between him and Johnson. “Shouldn't there be some sort of briefing first? Like a risk assessment? Not that Gwen's a risk.”

*

“Rhys, car keys?” Gwen shouted to him.

“Try the top of the fridge I think.”

“I've tried the top of the bloody fridge man. Come on, come on.” She shouted. “If you put the keys in the same place every time we wouldn't have to go through this.”

*

Ianto opened the door of the phone box and stepped in and dialled.

“Come on, come on, come on ...” He muttered quietly to himself as he waited for the call to be answered.

“Hello?” Rhys replied as he answered the ringing phone, ignoring Gwen who was gesturing at him to ignore it. “It's Ianto.”

“For Christ's sake.” She hissed as she took the phone from him.

“Ianto, you okay?”

“Yeah, have you heard from Jack?”

“No, I haven't. Sorry, hang on.” Gwen rushed over to the window. “Do you think he survived?”

“He usually does, but I don't think even he knows if he could survive being blown apart.” Ianto paused, gulping down his emotions. “I wanted to stay with him.”

“And what good would that have done?” Gwen asked.

“If he died, I wanted to die with him.” Ianto told her honestly.

“If you had stayed and died and he had come back without you, did you think about how that would have made him feel?”

“Well I didn't, so it doesn't matter.” Ianto snapped back.

“Ianto, I'm sorry. I'm sure he's going to be okay.” Gwen replied quietly.

“Yep.” Ianto agreed, albeit a little unsure. “Who was it, any idea?”

“I had a run in with one of them, said he was working for the government.”

“That doesn't make sense.”

“How did they get close enough to plant it inside him Ianto?”

“It was him, they doctor Rupesh guy, they were shot and killed at the hospital earlier tonight. It must have been then.”

“Here.” Rhys said as he found the keys down the side of the sofa. “Lets go.”

“Take the bag and, get the car ready.”

Rhys grabbed the bag and ran from the flat.

“Where shall we meet Ianto?”

“Your phone. Your phone could be bugged.”

“Erm ... right ... er ... remember the last time we had ice cream together?”

“No.”

“Yeah you do, after Grand Slam?”

“I don't like ice cream, it gives me a headache and as I don't need to eat ...”

Gwen cut him off quickly, looking out the window as Rhys blasts on the car horn. “Gotta go.”

Dropping the phone she ran from the house, firing three shots at the approaching vehicle and blowing out the tyres before getting into the car, Rhys speeding away as soon as she was in.

Once they seem to have lost them Rhys stops the car. “I think we made it.”

“Lets go.” Gwen said, opening the door and exiting the car.

“Where? Can't we just take a minute, just to ...”

“Numberplate recognition, they can trace it. We need to ditch it.”

“It's a brand new car Gwen.”

“It's no good to us now okay, we need to keep moving.”

“But wouldn't it be better if we gave ourselves up? Told someone what happened?”

“When I know what's happened, I'll tell someone. Until then we go underground.”

“Well, let me carry the bag.”

Gwen came to a halt and looked questionably at her husband.

“Well, you'll want your trigger finger free, won't you?”

Gwen handed it to him and kissed him briefly on the lips.

*

A hammering on Rhiannon's door gots her up in the middle of the night, answering it armed soldiers burst in.

“We're looking for Ianto Jones.” One of them tells her as they invade the house, the kids screaming in terror and her husband shocked as his bedding is pulled off and he's rudely awakened as they tell him they're looking for Ianto.

“Well, you're not going to find him in my bed, are you? I'm a married man.”

*  
Ianto walked through the dark streets trying not to draw attention to himself, forcing himself not to flee as the black van moved slowly along behind him as if following him and sighing with relief when it stopped and a young man jumped out, depositing a pile of newspapers outside the doorway of a shop.

Waiting for the the van to leave Ianto then jogged over to the pile of papers and pulled the up one from the bundle, reading the headlines.

'Message to the world. “We Are Coming'

Before heading off again.

*

John Frobisher walked into his kitchen, his wife at the sink and his two children are sat at the table eating their breakfast.

“What?” One of his daughters asked, looking at the expression on his face.

“Keep your phones on today.” He told them both.

“Why?”

“I want to be able to speak to you.”

“Since when?” The other daughter asked.

“Since we were possessed by the Devil.” The first one replied.

“I'm serious.”

“If they go off during a lesson, we can't get them back till Friday.” The second one argued.

“Keep them on mute.”

Leaving the kitchen his wife followed him.

“Every suspicious phone call, every time you come home late, you hide behind the Official Secrets Act and I put up with it.”

“Don't start on this. Not now.”

“I accept it. But this is different. When it affects my kids, in my house.”

“There is nothing to worry about.”

“I saw how scared you were last night.” She argued with him in hushed tones.

“I know. It's frightening to see it first hand, there's no lasting damage. It's quickly over.”

“This isn't a hula hoop craze.”

“It happened to Brian and Wendy's kids in Canada. You don't think this is over any more than I do.”

“Just make sure they keep their phones on. And don't let them come home on their own. He replied. I'm off now, girls.”

*

Alice listened to the news on the TV, trying not to let Stephen see her worry.

'Further reports are coming in about the explosion in Cardiff last night.” The presenter said. “No organisation has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion, which went off in  
the Bay area of the city..."

“Isn't that where Uncle Jack lives?” Stephen asked his mother.

“It's a big place. Shhh!”

They both listened in silence to the rest of the broadcast, as did Lois in the office she was working in.

"Casualty figures remain low, with two people reported missing. Residents in Cardiff are reacting with shock and outrage. The entire bay area has been closed off and witnesses say the effects of the explosion last night could be felt five miles away. No-one can say for sure why this area was the site of such an unexpected attack, and the Prime Minister's office has refused to speculate until more details are known.”

*

Frobisher told the Prime Minister that Jack Harkness is a hard man to kill, when the asks if he could survive the blast Frobisher tells him he will keep him informed and they change the subject the the specification sent by the 456, discussing how it's going.

“Can we see it?” The Prime Minister asked.

“They'll be ready to show us work in progress by 1600 hours.”

“We're building something and we don't even know what it is.”

“Can I ask? Any other country?”

“Intel's been listening. No chatter on the wires. Seems like it's only Britain.”

“And how long can we keep it secret?”

“Given the children's last statement, "We are coming back".”

“That's what everyone seems to be asking - when were they here before?”

“Yes.”

“Well, if that's everything... “

“Sir.”

*

Johnson stood watching as the men in fire fighters uniforms searched among the still burning rubble from the explosion. One of them spoted an arm with the hand attached sticking out and calls out for the person to clench their hand if they can hear him before realising in horror that it's not attached to the rest of a body.

*

Alice tried to call her father, seeing the carnage left after the bombing makes her worried for him and when it went straight to his answer phone, she left him a message as she tries not to panic.

*

Frobisher answered his phone, a call from Johnson as he, Bridget and Lois prepare to leave for Thames House.

“Hello.”

“We thought there was a body, but we've got an arm, a shoulder and the remains of a head. It's almost a waste of a body bag.”

“Is it Harkness?”

“Presumably.”

“Take him to Ashton Down. Keep him under surveillance.” He tells her before ending the call.

“Sorry, sir, I couldn't help hearing.” Lois told him. “That name. Harkness. Is that Captain Jack Harkness?From Torchwood? Only he was trying to contact you yesterday. I did mark it in the log. Said he could help.”

“Not now, he can't. Are you sure?”

“He was very insistent.”

“He told me his team were the experts at dealing with things like the children thing.”

“He told you that?”

“Over the phone? Yes.”

“He always was an arrogant sod.” Bridget put in.

“So, he can't help? He's not really the expert?”

“That bomb in Cardiff last night. He was the one at the centre of it. It tore him to shreds.” Frobisher replied.

“Does that mean who ever's behind the bomb's behind the children thing? Like they wanted him out of the way?”

“Lois, your job - you don't overhear phone calls, you speak when you're spoken to. OK?” Bridget told her.

“Sorry.”

*

Ianto stood looking at the devastation below, watching as a black body bag that looked like it barely contained anything was carried across the Plass by two paramedics. His hands clenching the wall in front of him so tight that his knuckles were even whiter than normal as he surveyed what was happening.

From where he was standing no one noticed him, if they did they would have seen the sliver hue to his eyes and the points of his fangs as he bit down on his own lip, desperately wanting to tear down to where the carnage lay below and rip everyone involved there to shreds.

But he knew in his heart it wouldn't help, staying where he was he wrote down the number plate of the car they loaded Jack's remains into and fought back the tears that were welling in his eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks.

He couldn't help but wonder if Jack could possible survive this, he had seen for himself that there was barely anything left of his Captain and all he could do was hope that Jack was right, that he could come back from anything.

Ianto knew that if Jack didn't come back he would take his own life, for the first time since he had become immortal he had allowed himself to get close to another person and he felt like his heart was being torn from his chest.

*

Gwen and Rhys found they can't get any money out of the cash machine as both of their accounts had been frozen, desperate to get to London they climbed into the back of the lorry carrying potatoes and hide. Gwen finds that she can't keep the fact she is pregnant a secret any longer and tells her husband her news, much to his delight.

*

Watching Jack's remains within the body bag on the CCTV Johnson looked more closely as she realised that there seemed to be movement coming from inside it. The once almost empty bag appeared to be somehow filling out, leaving the room she headed to the cell it's contained in to investigate.

When the soldier with her unzipped the bag Jack is no longer just a few bits, it's now a full skeleton covered in regrowing flesh and internal organs. She called Frobisher to tell him and he wonders out loud to her about if he can survive that what can kill him before telling her they need the whole team out of the way by that night and tells her to get it done.

*  
Johnson watched Jack on the CCTV screen as he writhed and screamed in agony, his body becoming more and more normal again as time went on before he passed out once more from the pain.

*

Ianto could see his great great granddaughter as he walked across the park towards the play area, glancing about and making sure neither of them had been followed he approached her.

“I wasn't followed, sit down.” Rhiannon told him.

Ianto sat down on the picnic bench near her. “You worked out my little code then?”

“My dad didn't break your leg on purpose, you know.

“He pushed me too hard. He always did.” Ianto replied. "He never understood what i was, he hated me for it when he lost your mam."

"You should have fought back."

"I'd have killed him." 

 

"I know ..." Rhiannon replied. “Seriously. How did you get in that state?”

“That bomb. It was meant for me and the people I work with.”

“My God! Why?”

“I don't know.”

“What sort of civil servants are you?”

“Unappreciated ones.”

“For once in your life Ianto be honest with me, who would want to kill civil servants? Tell me, who do you really work for?” Rhiannon demanded.

Ianto thought about it for a few moments, trying to come up with something convincing as his great great granddaughter glared at him and decided just to tell her the truth.

“Torchwood.”

“You're fucking kidding me? Bloody Torchwood? My granddad works for bloody Torchwood?”

“Great great Granddad.” Ianto replied, trying to lighten the mood and not succeeding.

“I don't believe this, all these years of me thinking you were my mild mannered ... fucking hell. Now that could be considered a secret bigger than being a vampire, only just though mind.” She hissed at him, not wanting anyone to overhear.

“Yep.” Ianto shrugged.

“Are they OK? The people you work with?”

“I don't know. Gwen's alive, but I've just no way of contacting her. I'm not sure about Jack.”

“Is he your boss? The one Susan saw you with?”

“He'll be OK. They won't get rid of him that easily.”

“How do you know that, you don't even know if he's alive?”

“He's immortal remember, like me.”

“But even you couldn't survive being in an explosion Ianto.” Rhiannon replied. “I know vampires aren't completely infallible to death.”

“He's way beyond mortal, I can die, given the right method but he's indestructible. Or so he tells me.” Ianto told her sadly, still not sure he believed it himself.

“How?” She asked gently.

“Very long story, maybe one day I'll tell you if we ever get out of this alive. Now I have to find Jack.”

“You love him don't you?” Rhiannon asked. “It's not like you said before, that you didn't even know if you were a couple. I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice, you love him.”

Ianto didn't reply, he knew if he spoke, if he told her his true feelings for the immortal he would fall apart.

“Does he know you love him? Does he love you? You've never told each other, have you?”

Ianto just dropped his head and looked down at the grass covered ground.

“Just because you think you have forever together doesn't mean you shouldn't tell each other how you feel.” Rhiannon told him. “Forever might not be as long as you think and then one of you is going to regret not saying those three little words.”

Ianto looked up at her again, tears pouring down his face. “I know.” He whispered. “I should have told him yesterday, before ... before this happened.”

“Well, I suggest you tell him as soon as you get the chance!”

“I will, I ...” Ianto stopped as he realised all the childish chatter had ceased around them.

They both looked on in horror as they realise the kids in the playground had come to a stop once more. Wiping away his tears roughly with the back of his hand Ianto gots to his feet and moved slowly towards the children as they chanted:

“We are coming tomorrow, we are coming tomorrow, we are coming tomorrow, we are coming tomorrow, we are coming tomorrow, we are coming tomorrow.”

Over and over again.

“This has something to do with it. It must do.” Ianto told Rhiannon. “When they tried to blow us up, this is what we were working on.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Ianto tried to ask a little girl about what happened to her but her mum dragged her away, calling him a 'filthy pervert' as Rhiannon got off the phone from talking to Johnny.

“It happened to David and Mica. What is it? What is it?”

“I don't know. But this is what we do. We deal with things like this. So deal with it. Stop it.” Ianto replied, reaching for the laptop she's holding. “I need to find Jack. Give me that.”

“How will this help?”

“I took the number of the van they put him in.” Ianto explained. You can track any vehicle with the right computer  
programmes.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Give me the car keys.”

“Oh, Johnny'll do his nut!” Rhiannon told him, rummaging through her hand back to locate them and giving them to him.

“Please! We don't have time to spare.” Ianto said, running towards her car as soon as he had them.

“A "thank you" would be nice!”

“Look, I'm sorry. I've got to go. Thanks for all this.”

“Be careful!” Rhiannon called out to him as Ianto got into her car and sped away.

TBC


	4. Day 2 - Part 2

“Hello. John Frobisher's office.” Lois said, answering the phone for what seemed like the umpteenth time that morning.

“Can I speak to Mr Frobisher, please?” a female voice asked.

“He's not available at the moment. Can I take a message?”

“It's Gwen Cooper from Torchwood. I need to see him urgently. Can you set up a meeting?”

“Erm... I'm not sure.” Lois replied as she pulled up Gwen's file on the computer.

“Just put me straight through, then.”

“He's very busy.”

“Yeah, he would be!”

“Who is this? Lois. Lois Habiba.”

“What happened to Bridget Spears?”

“She's on another line."

“Do you know what Torchwood is, Lois?"

“Yes. “

“Then you should know that right now you lot need us. The whole world needs us.” Gwen replied and Lois could sense her getting agitated “But someone's trying to kill us. They claim to be working for the government.”

“Why would the government want to kill people who can help?”

“That's why I need to see him!”

“Look, I know all this sounds mad, but you have to believe me.”

“I do. I do believe you.” Lois replied as Frobisher entered the room. “Hold the line, please.”

“Call my wife,” he instructed. “I'm in a meeting with the PM. I'll ring as soon as I can.”

“I'm putting the school through,” Bridget told him and he left the room again.

“If you're tracing this call...” Gwen said as Lois took her off hold.

“I'm not.”

“So you can set up a meeting, then?”

“Yes,” Lois told her firmly.

*

“Can we trust this guy?” Rhys asked Gwen as they sat nervously in the café where they had arranged to meet Frobisher.

“He's our man in the government. If we can't, we really are in trouble.”

“Gwen, we really are in trouble!”

“We've got to trust someone, Rhys, OK?”

Glancing at the door as they heard it open, they saw a young black woman enter. Neither of them paid attention to her and were a little surprised when she made her way over to their table.

“Hi. I'm Lois,” she introduced herself.

“Where's Frobisher?” Gwen demanded.

“He's not coming.”

“Why not?”

“Oh God, this is probably the worst mistake of my life,” Lois replied. “I've read your files. Some of the stuff you've done, you're like unsung national heroes.”

“Listen, I don't do autographs and I don't want to be rude, but why am I talking to you and not your boss?” Gwen asked angrily.

“Because if he knew you were here you'd be dead,” she told her. “ He gave the order to have Jack Harkness killed.”

“Are you sure?”

“I've seen it with my own eyes.”

“We really are in trouble,” Rhys replied sadly.

Lois asked them if they had heard of any of the other people that had been named on the list along with Jack, but neither of them had. Lois informed told that they were all dead; that they were all killed on the same day as Jack, adding that she didn't sign the official secrets act to cover up murder or to commit treason on her second day.

She asked them if Torchwood were the bad guys why didn't it say that on their files; and if they were the good guys, who the hell was she working for?

 

Lois explained that everyone where she worked seemed to think what was happening had something to do with aliens. She mentioned that there was something big being built for them on the thirteenth floor of Thames House, but she didn’t know what it was. She mentioned how it seemed as though they were preparing for something, but she didn’t know what.

Gwen assured her that she was going to find out why Frobisher seemed to want Torchwood out of the way all of a sudden. She asked Lois if she had head anything about Ianto or Jack, but all Lois knew was that Ianto was missing, and Jack was dead.

Gwen scoffed and muttered that it wasn’t true. Lois nodded her head in agreement, telling her that she had overheard Frobisher telling someone to keep an eye on Jack, and she couldn’t figure out why he would want someone guarding a dead person.

*

“Come on! Who's the genius behind the camera?” Jack yelled, his body complete again as he lay naked on the hard metal surface in the cell, chained to the wall. “Come on! Come on out and take your bow! Show yourself! Face me like a man!”

Jack continued struggling against the chains again, only stopping when a circular hole appeared in the top of his cell and a woman peered down at him.

“I'm not a man,” she told him, her tone completely emotionless.

“Who are you?” Jack demanded. “What's all this about?”

“Apparently you can't die, so it would be foolish to tell you anything,” she replied. “But I will say this, if I can't kill you... then I can contain you.”

Jack felt horror fill him as she moved away from the hole above him and a pipe came into view. He yelled and screamed loudly as tons of liquid cement was poured down into the cell, and onto his body.

*

Ianto lay flat to the ground a short distance away, his eyes glinting silver as he looked over at the containment building where he knew Jack had been taken. The downside of turning so he could see into the distance without the need for binoculars was that his hearing was also enhanced; there was no way he could miss Jack's tortured screams. Each one sent a chill through his body, despite the relief he felt knowing that Jack had come back after the explosion.

As soon as the woman in black had said she could contain him, he knew what the huge cement truck was for. He watched with horror as she moved out the way and the end of the long pipe was lowered into the hole, followed by a roar of the engine before concrete was poured into the cell.

Ianto's gaze remained focused as he listened to the Captain’s yells getting louder and more desperate. Biting back his tears as he chewed on his lip, easily drawing blood, he considered what to do next. As usual, the thought of just running down there and attacking everyone in his way was the first thing that came to mind. But he knew there was so many of them he didn’t have a hope of getting to Jack before one of them stopped him.

He also knew that if they caught him while he was in his vampire state, he would only be condemning himself to the same fate as Jack; and that wouldn't help either of them. Calming himself down and letting go of his vampire side, the sound of Jack's screams stopped reaching his ears. He dropped his head into his arms and allowed himself a few minutes of grief for his lover.

*

Lois handed Gwen a file telling her where Jack was being held, telling her of a way to get into the complex. She gave her the release papers for Rupesh, and informed her that an undertaker was due to pick up his body shortly. She also gave them a contact name and phone number just in case. Gwen grinned at her and told her that if she need a job after everything was all said and done, she should get in touch with her.

Gwen and Rhys hijacked the undertaker’s hearse and, after leaving him tied up in one of his own coffins, they took his car and headed for the military complex.

“Hi, we're here to pick up a body,” Rhys told the soldier at the gate. “5.30 appointment. Corporal Camara?”

“Kodak's dead!? When did that happen?” the soldier asked in shock.

“He's the contact,” Gwen replied. “The name of the deceased is Patanjali. Rupesh Patanjali.”

“Jesus! Shit me self then! He owes me money. Sorry. I'll have to look in the back.”

The soldier inspected the back of the car, before letting them though and instructing them on where to go. Another soldier instructed Rhys to back up to a fire exit to make taking the body easier, while Gwen went inside with the soldier.

Letting Rhys in through the fire door, he then lead them to the cell Rupesh's body was in. He unzipped the body bag so she could check it was the right person. As she did so, Gwen used her ‘gizmo’ to turn of the camera, before knocking the soldier unconscious and taking his keys.

Gwen knocked out a second camera as they arrived at the next-door, seconds before an alarm went off somewhere; they had been discovered.

Quickly they moved on to the last door, seconds before armed guards came around the corner. Gwen shot the lock off the door and quickly pulled it open, hoping to find Jack, but instead finding a concrete wall. 

Having nowhere else to go, Gwen returned fire with the soldiers, until a black-clad woman appeared in front of them. Gwen raised her gun to shoot her, grimacing when it ran out of ammunition.

“I'd lay down your weapons, if I were you,” the agent told her. “You're as trapped and helpless as the man in the concrete cell.”

Gwen began to advance slowly towards her.

“Put the guns down!” the woman demanded.

*

Ianto drove the JCB with determination towards the building; heading straight for the wall where he knew Jack's cell to be behind. His eyes were wide, flashing silver and his teeth bared; he no longer cared who saw him. His mission was simple; he was going to get Jack out of the building, no matter what it took, and if anyone tried to stop him, they’d find that he was a force to be reckoned with.

*

As Gwen began to comply with the agent’s order, there a huge crash and the concrete block behind them seemed to be moving backwards out of the building. Not even thinking twice, Gwen urged Rhys to run in the direction of freedom and they both ran through the hole left in its wake. They were surprised to see a JCB with Ianto at the wheel on the other side.

“Come on, get on!” Ianto shouted to them.

“Ah, Ianto. You took your time. Come on,” Gwen replied as she and Rhys climbed on to the JCB.

Holding tight as Ianto drove them away, they didn't get far before the soldiers were pursuing them. Gwen sent Rhys to move a truck into the road, before she took aim and fired a shot at it, causing it to burst into flames, blocking the path of the soldiers.

 

*

“Where the hell are you taking us, Ianto?” Rhys asked.

Ianto ignored him, focusing on driving the JCB. He didn’t stop until they were at the top if a large quarry.

“What are we doing?” Gwen asked when Ianto stopped.

“You'll see. Get the car started! We've only got a few minutes. Come on!” Ianto told them, pressing various buttons inside the cab of the JCB. It secured itself to the ground, before Ianto extended the arm of the machine that held the concrete box containing Jack. He pushed it so that the concrete was hanging far over the edge of the quarry, before releasing it and letting it fall to the ground below.

Leaping from the cab Ianto ran to the car, climbing in and ordering Rhys to drive to the bottom of the quarry as fast as possible. They reached the bottom seconds after Jack gasped back to life and found the Captain standing, covered in nothing but dust, with his hands still chained together in front of him.

“Told you I'd be back,” Jack said as the other’s jumped out of the car.

“With a little help from us,” Ianto replied, grinning as Gwen motioned for Rhys to give her his coat for Jack.

“What the hell is going on?” Jack asked.

“Dunno yet. But the latest from the kids is that it's happening tomorrow.” Gwen replied, handing him the coat.

“I'm just in time, then,” Jack told her.

“Get in the car. Come on, we've got work to do.” Gwen told him, trying to ignore his nakedness as he just put the coat over his shoulder.

Ianto moved swiftly, catching up with Jack and pulled him into his arms, clinging onto him tight as he whispered into his ear.

“Oh god, I missed you. Are you okay?”

“Alive.” Jack sighed, sinking further into Ianto's embrace.

“Always a plus,” Ianto replied lightly, pressing a soft kiss on to his lips.

“Hey, you two! In the car,” Gwen ordered.

“And no funny business in the back,” Rhys added. “Not while I'm driving.”

Both of them were grinning like Cheshire cats as they climbed into the vehicle.

“Oh, you might want these,” Gwen said, reaching back and handing over the keys she had grabbed just before they had fled.

Ianto took them from her gratefully and unlocked the cuffs around Jack's wrists. Jack sighed thankfully as they were freed, rubbing over the palms of his hands over his skin, before pressing a chaste kiss to Ianto's cheek.

“Thank you.”

“Now we just need to get you some clothes,” Rhys piped up from the front. “First stop before we go anywhere else.”

*

 

“Why are we stopping?” Gwen demanded as Rhys pulled the car to a stop.

“Jack needs clothes,” Rhys stated, pulling the key from the ignition and reaching to open the door.

“I'm just fine,” Jack grinned.

“No, you're not!” Rhys argued.

“I'll go,” Ianto said, looking in distaste at the discount store Rhys had chosen.

“If you go we'll be here forever, I'm going,” Rhys told him, opening the door and getting out, slamming it closed behind him.

“How will he know what size?” Ianto frowned.

“He'll do okay, he buys stuff for me sometimes,” Gwen replied with a wave of her hand.

“You let him pick out your clothes?” Jack asked, a little bemused.

“Well, not clothes you're ever likely to see,” she smirked.

“Oh!” Ianto exclaimed as Jack chuckled beside him.

“That was quick love,” Gwen said as Rhys got back on the car with a paper carrier bag in his hand and tossed it back to Jack.

“Easy,” he replied, starting the car again.

Jack pulled the three items from the bag and couldn't help but laugh at the look on Ianto's face when he saw the contents; a T-shirt, a pair of jogging bottoms and a pair of old trainers.

“Not me, but they'll do,” Jack muttered. “Thanks Rhys.”

“No problem mate. Now, where are we heading?”

TBC


	5. Day 3 - Part 1

The others watched as Ianto used a crowbar to get the door open, before following him into the empty expanse of the warehouse. 

“This is us,” Ianto announced, as they glanced around. “This is Torchwood. “This is home.”

*

“Whoa! Almost lost my eyebrows!” Rhys exclaimed as fire burst into life before him. He looked over at Jack and Ianto who were sitting on an old battered couch facing the fire. They were sitting on opposite ends of the couch; the cavernous gap between them making it seem as though they weren't quite sure how to act in front of the others. “Still, I'm good for something, see? Old Boy Scout!” 

“I'm freezing,” Gwen grumbled, rubbing her hands over her arms in an attempt to warm them up.

“Is anyone gonna see us in here?” Rhys asked. “With all this fire lighting stuff?”

“According to the records it was abandoned in the '90s. Used to be a Torchwood holding facility. Torchwood one,” Ianto explained.

“Gwen always said you knew everything,” Rhys chuckled.

“Been rusting away for years,” Jack added.

“So what do we do?” Gwen asked. “Just sit here?”

“Worse than that, do I have to stay in these clothes? I mean, come on,” Jack whined, “tracksuit bottoms? Not a good look.”

“Hey, I did my best. At least you're not naked anymore!” Rhys exclaimed, sounding more than a little miffed.

“I think I liked the naked look better,” Jack smirked.

“You would, but we wouldn't want anyone getting distracted now, would we?” Rhys replied, glancing at Ianto.

“No, ” Ianto replied, sounding more than a little subdued. He wanted nothing more than the others to leave so he could talk to Jack.

“Jack, they're arriving today. That alien voice-thing,” Gwen reminded him, “said today and we're stuck in the back end of beyond.”

“Yeah,” Jack replied, patting the sofa and inviting Gwen to sit beside him.

“But we're together; the old team. We're down, but not out, yeah? We've survived worse than this.”

“Yeah,” She conceded. Neither of them noticed the murderous look on Ianto's face as Jack spoke to Gwen.

“Besides, I don't know how much fighting you should do, in your condition,” Jack continued.

“What does that mean?” Rhys shouted.

“Christ. Jack!” Gwen hissed at the Captain .

“He knows you're pregnant?” Rhys ranted on. “You told him before me, didn't you?”

“Rhys, he happened to be there. And it happened really fast,” Gwen tried to explain.

“Last to know! Last to bloody know! Thank you very much!” Rhys shouted as he stormed off across the huge space.

Gwen moved from her seat to follow her husband. “Don't be stupid, man. Hey, don't be so...” she started as she began to follow him, before turning to Jack and snapping, “Couldn't you just keep it shut?”

As she followed Rhys, Ianto commented, “All together,” seeing the smirk on Jack's face and getting more and more frustrated with the man by the minute. “The old team.”

*

Ianto sat on the metal steps, glancing at Jack as he walked past, waiting until the Captain had moved away before making a call from his mobile phone.

“Yeah, it's me, listen, I can't talk, just give her the thumbs up. She'll know what it means,” he said into the phone, before abruptly cancelling the call.

*

Alice dialled Jack mobile phone number, in the hope he would answer.

“This is Jack Harkness. Leave a message and I'll get back to you.”

*

“So, we've got... Guns, OK, and a pen knife,” Jack said, going through the few items they had laid out on the table in front of them. “ Laptop, now dead. Credit cards and a phone, which they can trace. Lemsip. Book of stamps. Pair of contact lenses. And fifteen quid.”

“Plus 25p. With some bloody alien thing turning up today,” Gwen added as she placed the change on the table with the other items.

“We've got some Torchwood software. We've lost the Hub, but the software still exists on the server,” Ianto told them. “But we're gonna need some more equipment and electricity.”

“And how are we gonna manage that, hidden away like criminals?” Rhys asked.

“Well that's it. Brilliant!” Gwen exclaimed.

“What?”

“Criminals. Thieves. Us. Well, they're treating us like criminals, let's be criminals. Listen, I trained with the police, I know every trick in the book! I've seen the lot! Come on, boys. You're gonna learn some tricks!”

*

“Everything all right?” Ianto asked the couple at a table outside a restaurant, a white cloth draped over his arm as he pretended to be a waiter for the establishment.

“Oh yeah, fine. Thanks very much,” the gentleman replied, holding out his credit card to Ianto.

“That'll be fifteen-fifty, please.” Ianto smiled, taking the man's card, before breaking into a run, heading away from the place while neither of them were looking.

*

As Gwen chatted to a man on a wooden bench distracting him, Rhys crept up quietly behind, snatched his laptop bag and then ran off with it down the street.

*

Jack took the credit card from the customer of the bar and moved behind them. He hesitated for a second or two while he pretended to wipe down a table. Once he was sure they wouldn't see him, he ran away as fast as he could.

*

Ianto and Rhys pretended to argue and fight in the street, allowing Gwen to steal another unattended laptop bag from a man watching the fracas, nonchalantly strolling away with it in her hand.

*

Seeing the Porsche unattended, with the keys still in the ignition as the owner tried to use the ‘Pay and Display’ machine while he made a call on his mobile phone, Jack took full advantage. Running up to it, he jumped in the driver’s seat and sped away, ignoring the man yelling helplessly after him.

*

Alice slid her mobile phone closed after getting Jack's voice mail again, as a thought came into her head.

“I'm just going to pop over the road,” she told her son. “I won't be a minute, OK?”

Glancing up and down the street as she left the house, she spotted a young woman opposite and called out to her.

“Excuse me, could I borrow your phone? I just want to call my sister, she's a bit worried,” she explained. “It's all this stuff with the kids. My mobile's not working. Is that OK?”

“Yeah, sure,” the woman replied, giving her the mobile.

“I won't be long. Brilliant, thanks,” she said as she dialled.

“Hello, Cardiff Bay police station.”

“Yeah, I'm trying to contact Captain Jack Harkness; he works for Torchwood,” Alice explained. “I know it's not your department, but...”

There was a strange tone on the line but she ignored it as she continued speaking, “I think he was in that explosion. I can't get in touch with him. He's got this private number...”

“I'll need your name and address.”

“I just want to know where he is.”

“I'll need your name and address. Name and address, please.”

Alice gave up with a sigh. Cutting the call, she handed the phone back to it's owner. “Lovely. Thank you very much. Thanks,” she told her, heading back inside.

*

“Let there be light!” Jack said as he hit some keys on the laptop with a flourish and the whole place lit up around them.

“Oh, yes! Britain's most wanted!” Gwen grinned.

“Hey, how about that?” Rhys said, showing where he had written 'HUB2' in three-foot high letters on the filthy wall. 

“Guess that makes you an official member of the team,” Jack replied, grinning at him.

“You can stick it, mate. Get on those computers, and get me home, yeah?” Rhys told him as Ianto walked in, laden down with lots of bags.

“I see we've got a new car outside,” Ianto called, heading towards them. “Nice. Very smart.”

“Where've you been?” Jack asked him. “We thought you'd been arrested.”

“Just buying essentials,” Ianto replied, placing a couple of the bags on the table. “Technology's one thing, but let's not forget the creature comforts. Coffee, obviously. Got some do-da... “ He waved a packet of toilet roll in the air.

“Thank God,” Gwen grinned.

“And more importantly...” Ianto continued, placing a suit carrier on the sofa and tossing carrier bags of clothes to Gwen and Rhys. “I didn't know your exact sizes, but I reckon I've got a good eye.”

“Oh, brilliant, I am stinking!” Gwen said excitedly as she looked in the bag.

“Nice one!” Rhys agreed as he copied her actions.

“And for you, sir...” Ianto said, walking towards Jack with a very large brown paper parcel and handing it to him. “Army surplus special.”

“Oh, you are kidding me!” Jack grinned widely as he took it.

*

Jack walked back into the room looking like nothing had ever happened, wearing his usual familiar clothes and announced, “I'm back!”

Ianto couldn't take his eyes off Jack; the clothes fitted him perfectly and he looked like himself again. Now, even than before, he wanted to get Jack alone. Not just to talk, to clear the air, but he needed to feed and there was only one person that would do.

Now he just had to work out a way of getting rid of Gwen and Rhys.

*

“And we're in!” Jack exclaimed with a grin at Ianto as he got the Torchwood software on the laptop.

“Just like the old days!” Ianto replied.

“I'll patch into the news channels, see what's happening,” Gwen told them, typing on the other laptop.

“Black, no sugar, yeah?” Rhys said, handing Jack a mug of coffee.

“That's the one,” Jack replied.

“No sign of anything. Empty skies,” Gwen told Jack and Ianto.

“Right. What are we looking for?” Ianto asked

“Run a check on that Clement MacDonald,” Gwen replied. ”And those names Lois said: Captain Andrew Staines. Was it Ellen Hunt? Michael something. All assassinated the same time they tried to kill Jack.”

“Andrew Staines, Ellen Hunt, Michael Sanders. Mean anything to you?” the vampire asked the Captain.

“No, nothing,” Jack told him, the names not ringing any bells at all.

“We need to get inside Whitehall.” Gwen frowned as Jack tapped away on the keyboard of the laptop he had. 

“Have you got the I5 software, Ianto?” she asked Ianto.

“Yeah, it's still on the site. Why?” Ianto replied.

“Download it onto the laptop.” She held up the contact lens container with a beaming smile on her face. “Cos these are not just contact lenses. These are Torchwood contact lenses.”

“But what do we use them for? Who's gonna wear them?” Ianto asked her.

“Well, there's only one person still talking to us,” Gwen told him. “Lois.”

*

“Hello? Lois, look to your right,” Gwen told her from outside the café she had seen Lois go into. “Don't hang up. Don't hang up. I need five minutes. Just five minutes.”

Gwen joined Lois in the café and listened as Lois spoke, her voice full of fear for herself.

“I've helped you once. And that's enough. If anybody finds out what I'm doing... It's treason. It's literally treason. Offences like this can be tried without a jury. They could do anything to me.”

“I know. But you said they're building something in Thames House. We need to find out what it is,” Gwen told her.

“That's the most secure building in the whole country. I can't smuggle you in!” Lois exclaimed.

“You don't have to. Just keep your eyes open. Like this,” Gwen replied, opening the laptop she had brought with her on the table between then, moving it so that Lois could see the screen - and herself displayed clearly on it.

“But... Where's that coming from? That's not a web cam. That's you.”

“And to the right. And to the left,” Gwen said, turning her head from side to side so Lois could see what she was seeing on the screen. “And back.”

“Where's the camera? On your jacket?” Lois asked.

“In my eyes,” Gwen smiled

“Oh, my God,” Lois breathed, amazement on her face and in her voice.

“When you wear these, they'll transmit a picture so we can see what's going on. And more than that, we've got lip-reading software,” Gwen explained. “Just look at someone when they're speaking and it'll translate it. Press enter now. Go on. Now it's working. Say something.”

“Like what?” Lois asked, adding, “Oh, my God, that's weird,” as the laptop repeated her words.

“And we can send messages to you. Type something,” Gwen instructed. “Go on. Anything.”

Lois quickly typed something into the computer.

“Hello Lois,” Gwen responded to the words that appeared in her eyes via the lenses.

“You can see that? In your eyes?”

“It's good, isn't it? If you wear these we can find out what's going on. Then we can help,” Gwen replied, removing the lenses from her eyes and putting them into the container.

“But I can't. What if they...I don't know, scan for bugs, or something?” Lois replied, obviously scared.

“They won't register. I promise,” Gwen swore.

“ I can't, though. That's putting me right on the front line.”

“You're the only friend we've got left,” Gwen pleaded with the young woman.

“Even if I get into Thames House, I can't get on to Floor 13 - where they're building this thing. Frobisher only takes Miss Spears with him; I'm just the office girl!” 

“Well, you'll have to find a way inside,” Gwen replied, wondering if she was going to have to resort to out-right begging.

“But how?”

“I don't know. You'll have to think of something.”

“I can't! I'm sorry, I've got to go.” Lois picked up her bag and got to her feet. She walked away from the table as Gwen continued to speak, grabbing her arm and stopping her before she got more than a couple of feet away.

“Just take them with you, I am begging you. Just think about it.”

“I've really got to go.”

“Please, Lois,” Gwen pleaded.

“I can't.”

“Please.” Gwen pressed the contact lens case into Lois' hand before she could leave.

*

“Frobisher's the key to this. He's just a civil servant; he's nothing,” Jack told Ianto, looking at the file on the laptop. “What makes him start authorising executions?”

Ianto turned from his own computer, swivelling his chair to look at Jack and pausing for a moment before speaking, as if unsure if he should ask what he was about to, or not.

“What did it feel like?” Ianto asked. “I mean, getting blown up.”

“It wasn't the best of days.”

“No, but... Did you feel it? Or did everything just go black?”

“I felt it,” Jack said, looking directly at him.

“Shit,” Ianto replied, breaking eye contact and looking away.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed, not really wanting to talk about it.

Ianto turned back to face the Captain again.

“D'you ever think that, one day, your luck'll run out? That you won't come back?” Ianto asked. “When you felt the bomb go off did you think, even for a fleeting moment that your life was over?”

“I'm a fixed point in time and space. That's what the Doctor says,” Jack replied, a note of sadness in his voice. “I think that means it's forever.”

"But how can someone live on forever? I know technically I could too, but even vampires get weak when they get old. Won't that happen to you?”

“I don't know,” Jack shrugged and gave him a wry smile. “Maybe we'll both end up thousands - millions - of years old in some alien nursing home wearing incontinence pants.”

“We better make the most of it, then,” Ianto replied, smiling slightly back at him.

“Suppose.”

“Like right now?” Ianto asked hopefully.

“Ianto, the world could be ending,” Jack grinned, glancing over his shoulder to where Rhys was cooking.

“World's always ending,” Ianto replied. “And I have missed that coat.”

Jack chuckled as he turned to Rhys and said, “Rhys, d'you wanna take the car and go to those shops down by the Wharf? We need some disks for these things. Should take about...20 minutes.”

“30 minutes,” Ianto interjected.

“30,” Jack corrected himself.

“I'll go later, the beans are almost done!” Rhys replied.

“Well, you could,” Ianto said as he stood up and closed the couple of feet between him and Jack. “But I need to fuck my lover and I'm not in the mood for being watched.”

Rhys watched open mouthed as Ianto pulled Jack up from his chair, into his arms and kissed him tenderly.

“Oh man! I ... err ... I'll be back in an hour.” Rhys stuttered, turning off the heat under the beans and hurrying out of the warehouse. Almost sprinting as the two immortals moved towards where Jack's coat was hanging.

“Put it on,” the vampire whispered softly in Jack's ear. “On it's own.”

Jack let Ianto push the braces from his shoulders and hurriedly began to strip.

“Do you need to feed? I mean it's been a while... Unless you...”

“I need to feed. I haven't taken blood from anyone else.”

“But it's been so long since...”

“Shhh,” Ianto hushed him, watching as Jack finished stripping the last of his clothes and reached for the coat, slipping it on; his arousal evident by the way his cock was standing to attention. “I'll only feed from you, ever.”

“You're wearing too many clothes,” Jack murmured as Ianto pulled him back into his arms and kissed him softly.

“No matter,” Ianto replied, urging Jack down onto the floor.

“Gwen could come back any minute,” Jack mumbled, eyeing up the door. He didn’t care if they were caught, but he knew Ianto was still a little shy when it came to being caught in the act.

“Like you said, the world could be ending for all I care.”

“Good. I don’t care either,” the Captain replied, rolling onto his back and pulling Ianto on top of him, feeling the hardness of the vampires cock through the layers of fabric.

Ianto kissed Jack briefly, moving to straddle his hips. He loosened his tie as Jack reached out and began to unbutton his waistcoat, then his shirt, meeting Ianto half way up as he undid the top half.

Flinging the clothing onto the floor, Ianto bent forwards and claimed Jack's lips again; crushing them with his own, his tongue sliding straight into the Captain’s mouth as they swallowed each others moans of pleasure.

Jack's hand moved into the small gap between their bodies, fumbling with Ianto's belt buckle, then the fastenings of his trousers in his haste to get his hand inside them, feeling the velvety skin of the hard flesh in his hand, the pre come leaking onto his fist, as the kiss became more and more intense.

Hands tangled in each others hair as their teeth clashed, lips bruising, tongues battling for dominance, as they put every ounce of their feelings into it. Each showing the other just how much they cared, missed each other while they had been forced apart.

Ianto pulled back when he realised Jack was gasping for air. Sitting back on his heels, he parted the edges of Jack's coat wide and spread his hands on his chest, smoothing them other the bare flesh.

“You know, this coat is so long I think you could go out just wearing this and your boots and no one would ever know you were naked beneath,” Ianto mused, sliding his hands higher, brushing them over Jack already erect nipples.

“You have a kinky mind,” Jack moaned lightly.

“And don't you just love it,” Ianto grinned back, his thumbs playing with the hard nubs, making Jack to arch his back off the ground with another small moan.

“Kinky is always good,” the Captain replied as Ianto's hands moved down his chest again, abandoning his nipples and stroking over his stomach.

“Every single inch of you is perfect; it's like you were never killed. Not a single mark or scar,” Ianto told him. “When I saw...”

Jack frowned as a cloud seemed to settle over Ianto's face.

“Saw what?”

“It doesn't matter,” Ianto told him, not wanting to ruin the mood.

“Tell me,” Jack instructed softly.

“I saw it; the body bag they carried you away in,” Ianto gulped, a tear rolling down his cheek. “There was barely anything inside it.”

“Forget it, Ianto. I'm here now, that's all that matters,” Jack growled, reaching up and yanking Ianto down to him, kissing him fiercely as he crushed his body to his own.

“Put it out of your mind forever,” Jack panted when he broke the kiss. “It never happened.”

“Never,” Ianto whispered softly, echoing the word.

“Now make love to me. Show me I'm still alive.”

“God, yes,” the vampire agreed, letting his other side through as his eyes turned silver with lust, want and need for his lover.

“Lube?”

“Did I mention that I got ALL the essentials?” Ianto chuckled softly, pulling the small tube from his pocket.

“You think of everything,” Jack smiled as Ianto got to his feet and removed the rest of his clothing.

Jack parted his legs wide, feeling the rough fabric of his coat beneath him, as Ianto sank back down between his legs and coated the fingers of one hand with the lube.

Stroking a finger along the crevice of Jack's arse, he found the small, tight opening to Jack body and carefully began to push the digit into him.

“So tight… Always too tight when you come back,” Ianto whispered, feeling the muscles slowly begin to relax under his touch.

“I want to be tight. I want to feel every hard inch of you inside me,” Jack murmured, canting his hips upwards before pressing down onto the finger inside him, urging it deeper.

Ianto added a second finger; slowly fucking Jack with them as he dipped his head down and ran his tongue over the head of Jack's cock, before pressing to tip into the leaking slit, making Jack moan appreciatively.

Jack's hand tangled in his hair as he took the head into his mouth and sucked slowly; his tongue teasing the sensitive flesh as his fingers worked inside his lover, pressing against his prostate as Jack let out a loud yell of pleasure.

“Ianto, please,” Jack begged. “Just fuck me.”

“You're not ready,” Ianto replied, letting the engorged cock slip from his lips.

“I've never been more ready in my life!” Jack exclaimed. “If you don't fuck me now...”

Jack was silenced by Ianto kissing him as his fingers withdrew from Jack's body. Ianto reached for the lube again, blindly opening it and slicking his own cock quickly.

“Take your coat off,” Ianto told him, letting Jack sit up.

“I thought you loved this coat?” the Captain retorted, doing as Ianto instructed nevertheless.

“I do, but it's in the way.”

Jack handed the coat to Ianto, who spread in on the floor before beside them. Jack shuffled slightly to the side and lay down on it, raising his arms over his head and parting his legs, showing Ianto every inch of his body.

Ianto moved to kneel down beside him, bending forwards and sucking Jack's bottom lip into his mouth, his sharp teeth piercing the soft flesh and sucking softly on it as the metallic tang of Jack's blood filled his mouth and his senses exploded at the taste.

Jack probed the vampire’s lips with his tongue, the tip of it swiping across the fangs buried in his lip. He could taste his own blood seeping into his mouth as Ianto let out a soft moan, before releasing him.

“You taste so perfect,” Ianto murmured, kissing Jack softly on the lips. He encouraged him onto his side and traced a finger down the Captain's spine, not stopping until he reached the cleft of his buttocks and teased the soft skin just about them with his fingers again.

“I need you inside me,” Jack whispered, Ianto's enhanced hearing making it sound as though he had shouted it to the world. “Buried deep inside me.”

The vampire spread out on the coat, lying behind the Captain and pressing the blunt head of his cock to the entrance of Jack's body, pushing in slowly as he savoured the tight heat that enveloped him, not stopping until he was buried balls deep.

Neither of them moved for a while. Both of them were concentrating of the feelings; Jack loving the sensation of being filled completely as he contracted the muscles of his arse around the cock within him, and Ianto revelling in the sensations his lover’s body was having on his own.

“Do it. Fuck me. Feed,” Jack instructed softly after what seemed like both an eternity and an instant all at the same time.

Ianto didn't speak as he opened his mouth wide, burying his fangs into the back of Jack's neck, feeling the shudder of excitement flow through his lover as he began to feed, his hips moving slowly and deliberately; fucking him as he sucked on his blood.

“More. Faster,.” Jack panted, his hand wrapping around his own cock, stroking himself in time to Ianto's thrusts, feeling the wonderful sensations invading all his senses as the vampire drank from him.

Ianto's eyes closed tightly in ecstasy and he began to thrust a little faster; the heady sensations of feeding and fucking at the same time tugging him closer and closer to the edge of release, until he could hold back no longer.

Jack thrust back to meet him, his hand working faster and faster on his own cock as he felt it swell. Howling out Ianto's name, his orgasm overtook him and his come splattered across his fist and over his coat.

Ianto let out a loud, strangled noise against Jack's skin without breaking contact, feeling Jack's arse contract deliciously around his cock, thrusting erratically as he tried to stave off his own orgasm for a little longer but he found it impossible to hold back. With a low, guttural grunt, his own come shot deep into his lover’s body and he pulled his mouth away from Jack’s neck.

They didn’t move for a few minutes as Ianto licked over the wound on the back of Jack's neck, before resting his head on Jack’s back as he reverted back to his human side; his eyes becoming blue again, as his fangs receded.

“Okay?” Ianto asked, as Jack panted softly beneath him.

“Never felt better. So alive.”

“I don't ever want to think I've lost you again,” Ianto replied.

Jack moved slightly, letting Ianto's cock slip from his arse and turned in his lover’s arms.

“You won't. I think what happened proved that I can survive anything. But you ... you have to be careful. You can be killed, even if it is harder for you to die than a mortal man,” Jack told him.

“I've no intention of dying, not for a very long time. Not ever,” Ianto assured him as they kissed again softly.

“This floor’s hard,” Jack mumbled as they broke away, but making no attempt to move.

“The coat is warm, though,” Ianto murmured back, wishing they could stay where they were for hours; safe in each other’s arms.

“We should move. Rhys will be back soon,” Jack sighed.

“Yep,” Ianto agreed. “I guess so.” Neither of them actually moved and Ianto nudged Jack a little. “You need to move too gorgeous,” he chuckled softly.

“Yeah,” Jack replied, moving reluctantly with Ianto. “Looks like this coat will be needing a trip to the cleaners a little sooner that I expected.”

“You made a mess,” Ianto grinned, lifting the coat up just as Rhys walked in to see them both standing there naked.

The other man stopped abruptly when he saw the sight of them. “Fuck!” he exclaimed loudly. “Oh man! You have five minutes,” he told them, before turning on his heel and leaving the building again, a small smile on his face as he realised they had connected again after the awkwardness of when they had first arrived at what they were jokingly calling the ‘HUB2’.

Jack and Ianto dressed quickly, grinning and laughing at the look Rhys had had on his face when he had caught them.

By the time he entered the building again they were both decent and sat back at their laptops as if they had never moved. The only tell-tales signs that anything had happened were the slightly dishevelled look to their hair and the huge grins on their faces.

TBC


	6. Day 3 - Part 2

“Whoa, that's nice, look at that...” Ianto said as after tapping some commandments into the laptop he was using two pictures of Clem appeared on the screen. “ face recognition software. And... arrested two hours ago in London. Wouldn't give his name, but that is Clement MacDonald.”

“That the man from the hospital.” Jack replied as he kept typing away at his own laptops keyboard.

“Could be useful.” Ianto agreed.

Picking up his mobile Ianto dialled and spoke as soon as it was answered. “Gwen?”

“I've given her the contacts, but God knows, I think she's too scared.” Gwen replied. 

“We've got a new mission for you.” Ianto explained. “That Clem's turned up, in Camden police station of all places, arrested for theft and minor affray. Could you get him out?”

“How am I supposed do that?!” Gwen asked.

“You were a policewoman.” Ianto replied as if it meant she could do anything he asked.

“Oh, OK. Bloody hell, anything else while I'm at it?”

“A few pints of fresh blood would be nice.” Ianto grinned as he winked at Jack.

“That's disgusting and you have Jack for those needs.”

“Yep.” Ianto chuckled down the phone as he thought about what had transpired between them earlier.

“See you later.” Gwen replied.

“So Ianto, what's his story?” Jack asked Ianto as he looked at the picture of Clem on his laptop.

“Well, according to Gwen, it was your classic alien abduction, as a kid.” Ianto explained. “ 1965. He was living ten miles outside Arbroath, the Holly Tree Lodge, it was an orphanage.”

As Ianto continued Jack had a sudden realisation as to where and how this all related to him, a look of horror crossing his face as he listened.

“I looked up the files, the kids were taken away in November 1965, the Lodge was closing down, they were being taken to a second care home called Harbour Heights in Plymouth. Except, that's where the records stopped, there's no trace of them arriving. It was the '60s, a lot of the paperwork's gone missing. But if what he's saying is true, maybe they never got there.”

“Show me those people.” Jack said, panic rising in his voice as he got to his feet and moved over to Ianto's computer.

“What people?” Ianto asked.

“Andrew Staines, Ellen Hunt, Michael Sanders.” Jack urged

“Why, d'you think there's a connection?” Ianto replied

“Show me!” Jack insisted.

No, give me their history, show me them 40 years ago.” Jack told him as he pulled up the most recent pictures of the three people Jack asked for.

“What for?”

“Just do it!” Jack ordered as images from the 1960's of the three people appeared on the screen.

“Who are they, Jack? Did you know them?” Ianto asked subdued as he watched the look of recognition on Jack's face.

“I never knew their names.”

“Who were they? Jack, tell me. Did you know them?” Ianto asked as Jack ran across the room and grabbed his coat, shouting after him as he vanished outside. “Jack!”

“Oi! The beans are ready!” Rhys called out after him.

Ianto gave Rhys a look that scared him a little, he turned back to the beans as carried on pretending to cook as if nothing had happened.

“Sod the beans Rhys.” Ianto snarked, turning back to his laptop and wondering what other secrets Jack was hiding from them, him.

*

As Gwen walked down the street she called the one person she knew could help her on her mobile.

“Andy Davidson.” The young Welsh policeman's voice came to her as he answered the call.

“Andy, listen.” She began.

“You're alive?” He said, the surprise evident in the tone of his voice.

“Yes, I'm still alive you idiot. Now shut up, I need some help. We need you!” She told him. 

“All those kids saying, we are coming. And that's today! What's it gonna be?” Andy asked her. A spaceship?”

Aww, Andy.” Gwen replied as she began to make her way up some steps into another street. “Just listen, I need you to release a prisoner from Camden police station. The address is Albany Street.”

“What are you doing in Camden?!” Andy asked her.

“Does it matter?!” Gwen whined at him.

“It does to me, I...”

“Yes. I know, I'm sorry. Look, just listen, I've got no ID, so I need you to vouch for me, he's only on minor charges so I can stand bail.” Gwen cut him off and explained. “ You need to phone them, and fax a WC242A. Don't use my name, use Lynda's, I'll say I'm Lynda.. Can you do that for me please?' OK. 'Like now?”

Gwen followed the policemen through the cells and waited for him to unlock the door of Clem's, Clem looked at her with uncertainly and sobs as he realises that she's there for him. On the way back to the car Clem suddenly comes to a complete halt and points into the air with a scared look on his face.

*

The screen on Ianto's laptop started flashing the word 'ALERT' In huge red letters as behind it the news reports come up on the screen informing them of what was happening outside.

“It's them, it's all of them, the kids.” Ianto told Rhys as he read the screen.

“What are they saying?” Rhys asked.

“I don't know, just pointing.” Ianto replied, frowning. “It says, all the children in America are pointing east. And all the children in Europe are pointing west.”

“It's us.” Rhys replied. “They're pointing at us.”

“They're pointing at Thames House.” Ianto told Rhys as he began to move. “Come on.”

They both ran through the building, getting outside just in time to see the huge spike of fire that flashed through the clouds and into the middle of London, into Thames House.

*  
“It's them. They're back.” Clem told Gwen as he stopped, pointing up at the sky.

*

“The area around Thames House is being cordoned off while the Government has... “ The newsreader said.

 

“It's all kicking off now.” Ianto told Rhys as they watched the new report on the laptop. “Just when we need Jack.”

“..at Downing Street. These images are from five minutes ago. That's been identified as Colonel Oduya of the Unified Intelligence Task Force and this is coming live that's General Austin Pierce, representing the American Armed Forces, he's heading inside Downing Street right now.” The newsreader continued.

Ianto watched the screen with growing worry as to where Jack was, what he was doing and wondering why he was now being so secretive. Since the incident with Katherine he hadn't kept any secrets from Jack but he was beginning to realise there was maybe a lot about his lover that he didn't know, and maybe never would.

*

“I was gonna phone you. God, I wish I was home right now. Look, just tell the girls that there's nothing to worry about.” John Frobisher's voice came down the phone line into Jack's ear.

“Oh, I'll tell them that, Johnny boy. I'll tell them that their father tried to have me killed, how about that?” The captain replied as he stood in the street, leaning on the roof of the car he had been driving.

“That's my wife's phone, how did you get my wife's phone?” Frobisher asked, panicking about his family.

“This is 1965, isn't it?” Jack answered with another question. “ All of this, because of 1965.   
Frobisher, tell me, is it them? Have they come back?”

“Yes.”

“That's why you tried to have me killed. Along with Andrew Staines and Ellen Hunt and Michael Sanders. All of us dead, so no-one could say anything, is that it?” Jack said as calmly as he could. 

“I had no choice.” Frobisher replied. 

“Well, I've got a choice... The captain replied. “D'you want to hear my choice?' I could blow this thing sky-high. I could tell the world! Unless you get me into Thames House. I demand to talk to the 456 myself. Think about it. The fact that they've come back proves that they can't be trusted. You need me.”

“Captain, we have your daughter and grandson.” Frobisher told him coldly. “Alice and Steven Carter in our custody.”

“You what?!”

“I promise, nothing will happen to them. My absolute promise. So long as you agree to say nothing.”

Well, how about I go back into that house, right now, and get your wife? And your children?” Jack threatened.

“Except you won't.” Frobisher replied. “Cos you're a better man than me. I'm sorry, Jack.”

Jack flipped the phone closed a moment or two after Frobisher cut the call, still leaning on the car as anger flowed through him, glaring at his surroundings as he wondered what the hell he was going to do next.

*

“There you go.” Gwen said to Clem, handing him a cup of coffee as he sat on the sofa eating frankfurters from a metal dish and sat down beside him.

“Save some for the rest of us, mate!” Rhys laughed and then walked away again. 

“He's your husband?” Clem asked Gwen.

“Yes. Yes, my beloved.” Gwen grinned as Rhys sat down in the chair opposite.

“Nice house, isn't it?” Clem remarked.

“Well, we do our best!” Gwen chuckled.

“It's got shower facilities. Just stand under the skylight.” Rhys added laughing.

“I've stayed in worse.” Clem replied. “And who's the queer?”

“Oi!” Ianto yelled angrily, turning round as he used every ounce of self control to stay looking mortal, but turning away again quickly as he felt him other persona rising to the surface and took a moment before looking back and telling him. “It's not 1965 any more.”

“He's queer. I can smell it.” Clem told Gwen and Rhys as they glanced at each other knowing they should change the subject if they wanted Clem to make it out of there again one piece, or at least with his blood intact in his body.

*

“What d'you thinks in there?” Rhys asked as they watched the screen saver whirling about on the laptops monitor.

“God knows.” Gwen replied. “That's why we need Lois.”

“No sign of her. Lenses inactive.” Ianto added. 

*

“Online! She's doing it!” Ianto said as the images from the lenses came onto the monitor.

“Oh, good girl!” Gwen exclaimed. 

“I knew she would.” Rhys added with a smile. 

“Oh, God! Don't do too much of that.” Lois told them as Gwen typed the message 'Thank U' into the laptop so that Lois could read it via the contact lenses.

“Sorry.” Gwen replied.

“She can't hear you.” Rhys told her.

“I know.” I know, she replied, waving her hand at him.

“Is that you, Gwen?” Lois asked.

'Yes its me.' Gwen typed in reply.

They watched on the monitor as Lois put the lid back on the case for the lenses and then she told them. “Right then. Good luck.”

As Ianto pressed a button Gwen retorted. “Oh, don't do that, I hate smiley's.”

“Took me a while to get used to those things.” Rhys said as Gwen looked down at her hands and Ianto glanced over at him wondering why he would have been wearing them at all.

“What, you've used the lenses?” Ianto asked.

“That's why Gwen had them.” Rhys replied.

“I took them home for a bit of fun.” Gwen said, trying to play it down. 

“Fun?” Ianto asked questionably.

“Yeah.” Gwen quipped.

“Y'know. Fun.” Rhys told him.

“Yeah, well been there, done that.” Ianto told them nonchalantly. “It is fun.”

“Yeah.” Gwen and Rhys replied in unison. 

“That's him, that's John Frobisher.” Ianto told them as Lois got into the lift with Frobisher and another woman.

“Bastard!” Rhys exclaimed. “Fat lot of good that is, back of his head, how do we know if he's saying anything.”

They watched everything Lois saw as she walked behind Frobisher, not knowing what was being said and into a large room where there was a structure at one end.

“What the hell is that?” Rhys asked as it appeared into view.

“Some sort of tank.” Gwen replied. “There's something inside the smoke.”

'Get closer' Gwen told Lois via the laptop.

“Clem, come and see this.” Gwen told him, Clem just stood where he was nervously. “ Oh, come on. Don't be scared, it's miles away. What d'you think?”

Clem sniffed the air as he moved closer.

“Anything you've seen before?” Gwen asked.

“Can't smell it from here.” Clem said, peering at the screen. “Is that what tried to take me?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Gwen replied thoughtfully as Clem backed away a little.

They watched through Lois' eyes as Frobisher walked towards the structure and began to speak to the creature within as Gwen typed a new message in to the laptop for Lois.

“Need his moth?” Rhys read out.

“Shut up.” Gwen told him, retyping the message. 'Need his mouth'

They watched a Lois began to move around the room. “That's it. Come on, good girl.” Gwen said quietly.

“You've got eyes. You've got eyes in the room.” Clem said, looking closer at the monitor again.

“Software's not so good in profile.” Ianto told Gwen as Lois stopped again.

“It's not too bad.” Gwen replied as the words came out of the laptops speakers.

“It's working.” Ianto agreed as they listened to the words both Frobisher and the alien spoke.

“I must ask you to state whether these greetings are accepted. Do you understand me? I repeat, according to the rules of protocol, as established by the United Nations in the directives of...” Frobisher asked.

“Yes.” The alien answered bluntly.

“Then I thank you on behalf of the United Kingdom.” Frobisher replied.

“Did it speak?!” Rhys asked.

“It hasn't got a mouth, it's got bloody speakers!” Gwen replied. 

“It hasn't got a mouth!” Clem repeated, clearly fretting at what he was hearing and seeing . 

“The Russian Federation, the Commonwealth of Australia...Citizens and territories of Canada and Japan and the Hellenic Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq...” Frobisher continued.

'Can't hear the alien.' Gwen typed to Lois.

Lois began writing on the pad in her hand.

“It's bloody shorthand!” Rhys grumbled.

“No, I can read it, it says "yes". This is a nightmare!” Ianto told them. 

“..and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It might be easier if we take those names as read from now on, don't you?” Frobisher asked the alien.

The creature responded by shrieking loudly and bashing the clear walls of it's box, leaving green smears over the inside.

*

"What's it doing?" Ianto read out.

“What, is that what it said?” Rhys asked. 

“No, that's Lois, saying that!” Ianto replied. 

'God knows.' Gwen typed back to Lois.

*

“Are you all right? I'm sorry, but I can't help being concerned, is there a problem?” Frobisher asked.

“I'm sorry, but I can't help being concerned, is there a problem?” The alien repeated.

Do you want me to continue?” Frobisher asked.

“Yes” The creature replied.

“In the spirit of co-operation ... we have a formal request to make. We ask you not to use our children for communication. In case certain parties or territories might consider that a violation. Is that acceptable?” Frobisher continued.

“Yes.” It replied simply again after a long pause.

 

“Thank you.”

“And, as a gift, and as welcome to this world, we've prepared a document summarising our culture and history. This document can be made available to you immediately. Though its format remains undetermined. Said format remains of your choosing, though this does not constitute a request for information on, or transfer of, specific 456 technology.” Frobisher told the alien. “I have been given a request for specific information. It has been asked.....why the 456 chose Great Britain as its chosen point of embarkation.

“We came here... We came here..." Because you have no significance. You are middle men.” The creature replied.

*

"You have no significance, you are middle men." Ianto read from Lois' pad.

“That's a lie, cos it's been here before that's why it's here now. Whys it lying?” Gwen asked.

“It's Frobisher. He's got that thing to lie. They're on the same side. Whatever happened in the past, they're hiding it.” Ianto told her.

*

“We have a request.” The creature told Frobisher.

“By all means.” He replied.

“We want a gift.”

“Of course, but ... what nature of a gift exactly?”

“A gift, gladly. But what d'you want?”

The alien growled it's reply. “We want...your children. We will take your children.' It finished as he hissed and hit out at the wall that confined it once more.

*

"We will take your children." Ianto read out.

“What the hell for?” Rhys asked.

“I'm sorry, I think that there might be a problem, with the translation.” Frobisher told the alien.

*

“They want to take them, like they did before.” Clem said, clearly agitated. “Like the man did. He's coming back.” Clem added as he sniffed the air. “He's coming back.”

“Not now Clem, just wait.” Gwen told him as Jack walked into the building and across the room towards them. “He's coming, he's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming.” Repeating the same phrase over and over. “He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming. He's coming.”

*

“By children, you mean...?” Frobisher asked.

“Your descendants.” It replied. “The offspring of the Human Race.”

“How many?” He asked.

“10%.” It replied. “ We want 10%. We want 10% of the children of this world.” It demanded.

*

“He hasn't changed. He's the same.” Clem rambled as he looked at Jack, terror in his eyes. “ He's the same. He's the same. All those years. How can he be the same?”

“What's he talking about, Jack?” Gwen asked as she tried to comfort Clem.

“Clement MacDonald. Just another name.” Jack replied. “It was easier, if you didn't know the names.”

“You were there?” Gwen asked as Clem nodded. “In 1965.”

“He was the man!” Clem told her. 

“No, no, this is what he does, you see, he fights them.” Gwen told him. “He fights aliens, isn't that right, Jack?”

“No.” Jack replied truthfully.

“Then what were you doing there?” Gwen asked.

“I gave them the kids.” Jack answered. “1965, I gave them 12 children.”

“What for?” Gwen replied.

“As a gift.” Jack told her.

Ianto listened stunned, thoughts running through his head at ten to the dozen. How could Jack not have told him something like this? Why would he do such an awful thing? Why would the aliens want twelve children let alone 10% of the earth child population? Did they eat them? If so why did they only want twelve the last time?

In all his years he had been immortal, a vampire Ianto had never prayed on children. To him just the thought of it was wrong, how could Jack have thought on any level that it would be okay to sacrifice twelve children?

But he also knew in his heart that there must be a good explanation for Jack's actions and he for one was willing to listen to them before he judged him.

TBC


	7. Day 4 - Part 1

As Clem looked at Jack in horror the events of the night in 1965 flooded back into Jack's head, memories that he had tried to block out for over forty years. He could still remember the chill of the evening as he met a young woman in the middle of nowhere, the road deserted except for her and the soldiers that accompanied her.

“This is the location they specified.” The woman told him. “A set of instructions, coming through on a wavelength combination designated 456.”

“Did they give a name?” Jack asked, moving closer to her.

“All we've got is that number, 456.” She replied, moving to sit inside the Jeep she had arrived in she continued to explain. “According to our alien friends,in four months time, the virus will mutate. It's a brand-new strain of Indonesian Flu. They claim it could kill up to 25 million people. All our research seems to back up their figures, in 1918, the Spanish Flu outbreak killed something like 5% of the human race.”

“I know. I was there.” Jack told her.

“Well, this time, we're being offered a cure. They'll send the anti virus. In exchange.”

“How many children do they want?”

“12. It's like the sacrifice to the ancient Gods, twelve virgins.”

“Just 12?” Jack questioned the number. “Sounds like a good deal, what do they want them for?”

“They say they'll live forever.” She replied solemnly

“Yeah. Sure.” Jack snarked, pausing a moment before continuing. “Why d'you need me?”

“Well, assuming twelve children can be found, then we need someone to deliver them.” She told him.

“In case the aliens are hostile? You need someone who can't die.” Jack asked.

“Actually, we need someone who doesn't care.” She replied bluntly.

“1965.” Jack said, looking straight at Gwen. “I gave them 12 children.”

“You just handed them over, and hoped for the best?” Gwen replied, obviously upset and shocked at his admission.

Jack could remember it as clearly as if it had just happened the day before.

“You just come with uncle Jack.” Jack told the twelve children on the bus as he pulled to a stop on the deserted road and got up from the driving seat. “We're gonna go on an adventure, Yeah? Everyone off.”

Standing in front the the bus Jack spoke to them again. “Here we go. All right children, you follow me. Adventure. OK, children. Do as I say.”

The children followed Jack along the road before he stopped and instructed them to go into the light.

“What's in there? What is it?” A little boy asked.

“Just go.” Jack replied, just wanting to get his mission over with.

“It's safe though, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it?” The little boy asked.

“Yeah. It's safe.” Jack replied as the little lad began to walk after his friends. “Keep going. You don't want to be left out, do you?”

The light suddenly flashed brightly causing Jack to cover his eyes with his hands and then it was gone, the light along with the children.

“Everyone OK?” Jack called back to the soldiers that had been behind them.

“Yes, sir.” Came the reply.

Jack stared into the darkness, the look on his face expressing how he felt, wondering just what he had sacrificed those twelve innocent children to and what fate had planned for them before walking towards the army Jeep where the woman was listening to the service radio.

“The information's coming through now, on the 456.” She told Jack. “It's the anti virus, just as they promised.”

“Good night's work.” Jack replied.

“Maybe the Gods were kind.” She told him. “Maybe they are in paradise.”

“No such thing.” Jack replied angrily, turning and walking away knowing for whatever reason they had done what they had had to do, he wished he hadn't had any part in it. They might all think he didn't care, hell it was the persona he had cultivated for himself but the guilt eating away inside his told a different story.

“You are in every nightmare I've ever had.” Clem told him slowly.

Ianto watched the expression on Jack's face, it was like all his regret and emotions of the night in question were etched on his face and as the immortal spoke to Clem he knew he was telling the truth.

“I'm sorry...” Jack said, moving closer to Clem. “I'm really sorry...I...”

The captain didn't get any further, without warning Clem lunged for Gwen's gun, grabbing it before she could stop him and fired at Jack, hitting directly in the chest and killing him instantly, blood splattering the room as he dropped to the floor like a stone.

Ianto rushed to his lovers side, dropping to his knees beside him and pulling him upwards, wrapping his arms tightly about the captain as he crushed him against his chest and waited for him to gasp back to life.

“OK. It's over now.” Gwen said calmly to Clem, trying to take the gun from him.

“Stay away.” Clem snarled at her.

“Just give me the gun, Clem. Come on.” Gwen urged, wanting to get it off him before he shot anyone else.

“You're on his side...” Clem began.

Give it to me.” Gwen ordered, beginning to panic that he would shoot someone else.

“..and he's on their side.” Clem finished, still waving the gun around. “You're all involved.”

“Gwen, let him go.” Rhys pleaded. “He's dangerous.”

“I'm not dangerous!” Clem shouted at them.

“We know...” Gwen told him. “We know you're not! We know that.”

“But that's a lie, isn't it? Isn't it?” Clem replied, becoming clearly subdued as he thought about what he had done. “We both know I...I killed a man. I am dangerous.”

“Can I take that?” Gwen asked, reaching for the gun again.

Clem stood there quietly looking at the ground as Gwen took the gun from him easily and passed it behind her to Rhys before hugging him.

“There we are.” She told him gently as she did so.

“But it's wasn't my fault. There is something up there. They do want children.” Clem replied as he held onto Gwen. “That man held my hand... ..and took me to them.”

As Jack gasped loudly back to life Clem let out a yell of surprise and shock as Gwen held onto him.

“This is normal, OK?” She tried to reassure him. “This is what he does. I told you he was going to be OK.”

Clem struggled free of Gwen arms and ran away towards the exit of the building as he yelled out. “No” repeatedly, Gwen chasing after him trying to explain.

“He's all right, Clem.” She told him.

“This is too much!” Clem replied, huddling into a corner. “Isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it?Oh, too much... too... too... oh.”

“Oh. You get to shoot first, and ask questions later. Gwen told him smiling softly. “How good is that?”

“This is too much!” Clem repeated. “Isn't it? Isn't it?”

Gwen held out her hand as Clem groaned and clutched his head for a moment before turning towards her and taking it.

*

Jack walked slowly across the warehouse and stood behind the chair Ianto was sat in.

“I can't believe you didn't mention this before.” Ianto said, visibly upset over the revelations of the last few minutes.

“They didn't speak through kids back then.” Jack tried to explain. “I didn't recognise the signs at first.”

“That's not what I meant.” Ianto told him, turning his head to face him, hurt in his eyes.

“They're coming back.” Rhys said, interrupting the two immortals, they both turned to see Gwen and Clem walk back through the building towards them, stopping some feet away.

“The man who sent me and my friends to die, can't die himself.” Clem said as Jack tried to look anywhere but at the man who had just spoken, feeling more guilty that any of them could ever know.

*

“It was a protection racket. You must've known they'd be back.” Gwen said as Jack buttoned up his clean shirt.

“It was a possibility.” Jack admitted.

“But you still gave them their pay-off?” Gwen asked.

“We had no choice!” Jack argued.

“Why us?” Clem asked.

“You wouldn't be missed.” Jack replied sadly. “Orphans.”

“I can see that.” Clem replied.

“All this time the one consolation I had, was the deal seemed to work.” Jack replied.

“It worked for 44 years.” Rhys added quietly. “That's not a bad breathing space.”

“Why was I left behind?” Clem wanted to know. “What's wrong with me?”

“We know they only want pre-pubescent kids. Maybe it's that. Maybe you were just on the cusp of puberty.” Gwen replied. “Not quite adult, not quite child...”

“Saved by your hormones.” Rhys interjected.

“Everyone follow us please, thank you.” The computers voice came to them.

“Is this still recording, Ianto? I need every second of this.” Gwen asked him.

“Yeah.” He replied, wanting not for the first time that day to be alone with the captain, needing answers to all the questions in his head.

They all gathered around the laptop and they quietly watched the events unfold again, seeing through Lois' eyes as they walked back into the room on floor thirteen to where the alien was awaiting them.

“Hello again. Before we consider your request, I've been asked for a point of clarification.” Frobisher told the alien. “Before we even discuss your... your request, we need to know exactly what it is you intend to do with the children.”

“It knows I'm here!” Clem stated as the creature thrashed about in it confined space again. “It knows!”

“Somebody is watching.” Ianto read out Lois' shorthand to them. “ Some remnant.”

“I told you! It knows! Turn it off!” Clem panicked. 

“It's talking about the other camera. It doesn't know about us.” Gwen tried to reassure him.

“The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is watching through this camera here and he needs to know what would happen to our children if we were to hand them over to you.” Frobisher explained to the creature.

“It is... off the record?” The alien asked.

“Yes.” Frobisher replied, striding closer to the structure that currently held the alien.

“Come in.” Ianto read again from Lois' notes.

“In there?” Frobisher asked worriedly.

“With your camera. Come in.”

“It's hiding something.” Clem noted.

They kept watching as a young man was dressed up in a hazmat suit and sent into the aliens tank with the camera. No one said a word as they waited for an image to appear on the screen, as the camera paned around the confined area they heard the words of the man monitoring the guy in the hazmat suits heartbeat.

“I'm getting three heartbeats.” The man said said shocked.

“It's got three heads?” Frobisher replied.

“No, there's...There's three distinct forms of life in there.” He's told.

“Get closer.” Frobisher tells the camera man.

The camera man moved around the alien before coming to a halt on the image of the small child somehow hooked up to the alien, it's eyes open wide and staring lifelessly out at him.

“No, no, no, no, no, no!” Clem uttered, biting down on his fist, scared. 

“It's one of the kids from 1965.” Gwen said sadly.

“He's still just a child.” Jack replied, walking away to sit at the far side of the room away from the monitor, not wanting to see the horror of what his past actions had done to the small child.

“Do you think he knows? Is he conscious?” Rhys asked as the rest of them all peered at the screen, not really wanting to watch but unable to stop doing so.

“What's happening?” Clem asked as the screen became blurred.

“It's Lois.” Gwen explained. “She's crying.”

Ianto looked over at his lover, he was sat staring in front of him and he could only imagine the thoughts that were going through the captains head, but one thing he did know, Jack would be blaming himself completely for the current events.

“What have you done to him?” Frobisher yelled at the creature causing it to thrash about again, splattering green good everywhere, including over the camera man as he told them to get him out.

“It would ensure the smooth running of diplo, diplo, diplo...between earth and 456, 456, 456, 456 if that previous encounter was kept off the record...off the record...off the record.” The alien rambled. “By off the record I mean private... Private, private, private, pr-r-r-i-i-vate.”

“This is unacceptable.” Frobisher told the creature.

“We do not harm the children.” The alien replied. “They feel no pain.”

“We do not harm the children. They feel no pain. They live long beyond their years.” Ianto read out.

“Oh, well that's OK then!” Gwen exclaimed sadly.

“But we still don't know. What does it do with them?” Jack asked from the other side of the room. “What does it want them for?”

“Bit late to ask now.” Rhys told him bluntly.

"We have answered your question.” Ianto carried on reading out. “You have one day to select and deliver your 10%.”

“And if we refuse?” Frobisher asked.

“We will wipe out your entire species.” The alien threatened.

*

Ianto walked slowly over to Jack.

“This must have been eating away at you.” He said. “Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped.”

“No, you couldn't.” Jack replied, shaking his head and not looking at him.

“I tell you everything.” Ianto replied.

“Yeah? So tell me, what should I have done?” Jack bit back.

“Stood up to them?” The vampire replied. “The Jack I know would've stood up to them. I've only just scraped the surface, haven't I?”

“Ianto, that's all there is.” The captain told him.

“No, you pretend that's all there is.” Ianto replied, trying to keep his emotions under control.

“I've lived a long time.” Jack replied. “I have done a lot of things.”

“You're not the only one Jack, so have I or did you conveniently forget that? Ever since Katherine came back into my life and tried to kill me, all of us I haven't kept a single thing from you.” Ianto snapped back. “I told you how I became what I am and I've never lied to you about anything.”

“Haven't you? Are you sure about that?” Jack snipped.

“Positive. I'd never do that to you Jack and for some stupid reason I thought I meant the same to you, how stupid am I?” Ianto ragged, feeling himself turning and not making any attempt to stop it as his eyes flashed silver with anger. “What else are you keeping from me Jack? Will you ever tell me all your secrets? If we're going to stay together then don't you think you should tell me everything?”

“It's all in the past, none of it matters now.” Jack sighed.

“Are you are about that? After what's happening now?” Ianto argued, raising his voice as he hissed out the questions. “Didn't you think this would stay buried in the past, that no one would ever know what you did to those kids?

“I had no choice.” Jack told him. “I was following orders,”

“So you said, but as I did, the Jack I know would have stood up to them!” Ianto exclaimed, his temper growing by each passing second.

“I was a different man back then Ianto, and I'm not proud of it.” Jack replied sadly. “If I had never met the Doctor...”

“Yeah yeah, he changed you, so you've told me before.” Ianto growled. “I'm not sure I know you at all now, so what now? Are you just going to give into them again?”

“I can't have this fight now Ianto, I've got to go.” Jack replied. “I won't be long, we can discuss this when I get back, when you've calmed down.”

“I'm not sure that's going to happen anytime soon.” Ianto snapped at him. “Where are you going?”

“To call Frobisher. I can't make the call from here, cos they'll be able to trace it. Is that OK?” Jack snarked.

“You're the boss.” Ianto replied with an angry shrug.

“And just so you know, I have a daughter called Alice.” Jack added, the tone of his voice not changing. “and a grandson called Steven and Frobisher took them hostage yesterday.”

“Would you have ever told me that, if they hadn't been taken?” Ianto asked.

“I don't know Ianto, I really don't.” Jack replied, running his had through his hair. “She has enough trouble coping with her father being immortal and looking younger than her, I've no idea how she would cope with me having a lover with the same disposition and a vampire to boot.”

“I never said I had to meet her, just knowing about her after all this time would have been something. You know about Rhiannon, Johnny and the kids” Ianto argued with the captain, softening his tone when he saw the look of hurt in Jack's eyes. “You don't see her much do you? Your daughter?”

“No, barely ever. If I could I'd see her and Stephen all the time but she won't allow it and now they've been taken and that's all my fault.” Jack replied forlornly.

“How is it your fault?” Ianto asked, moving closer and putting his hands on Jack's hips as a gesture of comfort.

“I went to see her, before I got blown up.” Jack replied. “And then somehow they tracked her down, how did they do that? She was buried deep under cover, her mother made sure of that, it has to be linked with me visiting her.”

“I have no idea Jack, but you can't keep blaming yourself for everything.” Ianto said softly. “Just go and phone Frobisher and get her back safely.”

“You're still angry with me.” Jack commented, looking into Ianto's still silver eyes. “We need to resolve this.”

“No, not really.” Ianto replied, relaxing and letting his human side take presidence over his body once more. “When all this is over and the 456 have been sent packing we'll have all the time in the world to talk about this.”

“I ... thank you.” Jack stuttered a little causing Ianto to wrap his arms around him in a tight embrace and then kissed him softly on the lips.

“Go Jack, but come straight back here, whatever happens, whatever we do to fight this alien threat, we do it together.” Ianto told him.

“Thank you, again.” Jack told him as he pulled away from the vampires embrace, grabbed his coat and strode quickly from the building.

*

“Hello.” Frobisher's voice came down the phone as Jack listened.

“Have you thought about what I said?” Jack asked.

“Bit busy, to be honest.” Frobisher replied offhandedly.

“Let me put this right.” Jack told him. “Release my family, and we can work together.”

“Give yourself up, and they won't be harmed.” Frobisher countered.

“I wish I could believe that.” Jack replied.

“You can.” Frobisher told him.

“You've spoken to the 456, haven't you?” Jack asked. “They want more children.”

“What makes you think that?” Frobisher asked anxiously.

“It doesn't take a genius.' Jack replied. “And why wouldn't they, they got what they wanted last time?”

Jack waited for Frobisher to answer but there was nothing but silence from the other end of the phone.

“And with them going so public this time, I think they want a lot more.” Jack replied. “Millions even. If I have to stop you then I'll tell the world what's really going on. There's too much at stake not to.”

With that Jack cut the call, leaving it up to Frobisher to make the next move.

*

On the monitor of the laptop Gwen spoke as they watched though Lois' eyes once more.

“Cabinet Office Briefing Room A. COBRA.” She called out to the others. “Where all the emergency planning takes place.”

“Gold Command meeting's about to start!” Ianto shouted out to Jack who was sat on the metal steps Ianto had used when he'd wanted to be alone and Rhys who was sitting on one of the armchairs as he walked over to Gwen and Clem.

“They'll sell us out, just like they did last time.” Clem said sadly as Gwen patted his shoulder comfortingly.

“I'm sorry to hear about your family, by the way.” Gwen told Jack. “We'll get them out.”

“I know we will.” Jack replied, glancing at Ianto, not sure should be angry or relieved that the vampire had filled them in with the details of his family and what had happened to them.

Ianto reached out with one hand and took Jack's in his, sighing with relief when Jack entwined their fingers instead of rejecting his token of comfort and then stepped sidewards, bringing himself closer to the captain as they once again watched the monitor with somewhat baited breath.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it's been decided that we're going to make the 456 an offer.” They heard the Prime Minister say via the laptop. “A realistic number. Something we can manage. And then we see what happens.”

“D'you mean we're going to haggle?” The woman beside his asked. “What about the military option?”

“There's nothing to take action against.” The black guy opposite replied. Evidently, the 456 must have some sort of base of operations, in orbit. But our satellites are showing nothing. Whatever's up there, it's beyond our technology.”

“There's a target sat in Thames House.” The woman told him.

“Taking that out would be a declaration of war.” The black guy told her.

“A war we can't win.” Another man added.

“That's why I've invited John to address Gold Command. In terms of managing the figures, what could we offer and get away with?” The Prime Minister asked. “ We need to know how many units would be available by tomorrow morning.”

“Isn't it? Isn't it? It's happening again.” Clem exclaimed, twitching as he got upset again.

“My God! They're really gonna do this.” Gwen said, not believing what her ears were hearing.

“It won't just be Britain, will it?” The woman asked.

The Prime Minister turned towards her as he spoke. “The idea is that every country makes a camouflage-able contribution.”

“Can you pass me the F. A. S. file, please?” Frobisher said to Lois and she passed it over to him.

“S. A. S?” Rhys said. “Now you're talking!”

“Right. Well, erm... for a start, there are 21 children in Oakington right now. 21 units. Unaccompanied asylum seekers awaiting deportation.” Frobisher read out from the file.

“F. A. S.” Gwen said. “Failed Asylum Seekers. Orphans in 65, asylum seekers today. There's progress for you.”

“And no-one would miss them.” One of the PM's cabinet commented. “We need more. Can you bump the numbers up to sixty?”

“I think so.” Frobisher replied. “We could have them all in Oakington by first thing tomorrow.”

“Thank you, John. Now go back to Thames House” The Prime Minister told him. “and consult with the 456. Make them an offer of sixty units and no more.”

The Torchwood team watched the cabinet watch Frobisher speak to the alien, Ianto reading out Lois' notes as to what was being said.

“I'm sorry, but we have discussed your demands...” Frobisher address the alien. “And we've arrived at a solution that might satisfy both parties. I've been authorised to offer you one child... for every million people on planet Earth. That's about... 6,700 in total. 62 from the UK alone.”

“That is not acceptable.” The alien responded.

“6,700.” Frobisher repeated. “Six. Seven. Zero. Zero. That's our final offer. It's more than generous. I'll give you some time to think.”

As he walked out of the room the alien began to repeat another number over and over.

“Three... Two... Five...Zero... Zero... Zero... Three... Two... Five...Zero... Zero... Zero.”

“Three, two, five, zero, zero, zero.” Clem started chanting over and over as Gwen entered the numbers into the laptops search engine.

“Coordinates? A grid reference, maybe?” Rhys suggested.

“It's confirmed.” One of the men in the cabinet said. “325,000 is 10% of the children, the, er, units, in this country. Every country is saying a different number, which in each case, amounts to 10%.”

“I think it's fair to say that our "final offer" has just been rejected.” The Prime Minister stated. “OK, thanks, everyone, let's take a break.”

TBC


	8. Day 4 - Part 2

Every one in the 'Hub2' fell silent again as the cabinet reconvened and the Prime Minister began to speak through the laptops speakers as Lois surveyed the room, watching and making notes on her pad when needed for them.

“With regrets, ladies and gentlemen, I have to tell you that we're now facing the worst case scenario. And right now, we don't have time for a discussion on ethics,   
the hand-wringing will have to wait. “He said Solemnly. “ All we can do at the moment, is to address a number of vital and practical questions. Namely, how do we select the 10%? Who would go? How would we transport them? And how could we sell it to the voters? John?”

“Well, the selection's not down to me.” Frobisher replied.

“Nevertheless. Practical solutions, please.” The Prime Minister replied.

“Once the selection has been made, then my department can arrange to bus all the children to the rendezvous points together, school by school.” Frobisher replied. “My staff are compiling various school databases. You just need to decide what criteria you'd use for selection. Which is out of my hands. Over to you, sir.”

“Anyone?” The Prime Minister asked. “Might I remind you, the clock is ticking.”

“It would have to be random.” The black guy sat beside him suggested.

“No one'll believe it was random.” A woman replied. “Not unless some of us are seen waiting at school gates for empty buses to return.”

“If the criteria we use is demonstrably fair and entirely random, then at least we could defend ourselves against accusations...” The black man countered.

“So you're willing to risk your kids? To make it look fair?” The woman replied.

“Then how else could we choose?” The woman argued.

“We could do it alphabetically.” A man opposite suggested.

“Oh, yeah. Thanks, Mr Yates!” The woman snarked at him

“I didn't mean... I've got no kids.” He replied, flustered. “I wasn't...”

“No kids, and no consequences.” The woman replied before turning to the Prime Minister and saying. “And yours have grown up...”

“Let's keep this civil.” The Prime Minster said, cutting her off. 

“Oh, yes, let's discuss the loss of millions of innocent children, and let's be civilised about it?” She snapped back sarcastically.

“If you wouldn't mind, yes.” The Prime Minister retorted.

“Could we limit it to one loss per family?” The black guy asked. “Every second-born child?”

“That would take time and organisation.” Frobisher rebuffed the suggestion. “Time we don't have.”

“So it would have to be one school at a time.” The black guy continued.

After a pause the woman said. “Look, I'm going to say what everyone else is thinking. If this... this lottery takes place, my kids aren't in it.”

“I'm sure the families of Gold Command would be exempted anyway.”

“In fact, isn't that official policy?..Isn't it?”

“Those bastards, isn't it?” Clem asked the others around him. “Listen to them.”

“..during a major civil emergency we're also dealing with deeply debilitating personal grief.”

“Listen to them!” Gwen exclaimed angrily as they continued to listen.

“It'll be hard enough as it is. I'm right aren't I?”

“It is official policy our families get protection.”

“Course they bloody do!” Gwen added.

“Jack?” Ianto said quietly, squeezing his lovers hand as he watched the expression on his face, one of anger and guilt growing more and more obvious by the minute. “Are you okay.”

“Yeah. Fine.” Jack voice was clipped as he tried to hide his emotions from the rest of the team. Yes he thought, they were all as much of a team as they had ever been, Rhys included since the events had started a few days earlier.

“You don't sound fine ...” The vampire began.

“Just leave it, please.” Jack begged quietly to his lover, squeezing his hand back even tighter as they fell silent again.

“So, we could have a show of hands. I hate to be crass, but in the circumstances...” The black guy asked.

“Well, who votes?” The woman asked. “Those with kids, or those with no interest to declare?”

“No-one votes.” The Prime Minister told her. “It's down to me to make an executive decision.”

“Do you need some time?” Another man asked.

“No.” He replied firmly. “Whatever happens, the children and grandchildren of everyone round this table will be exempt.”

“What about nieces and nephews?” Th woman asked.

“Don't push your luck!” He told her.

“You seriously expect me to look my brother in the eye?” She began.

“We need to limit the number of people who know.”

“And what just give him a condolence card?” She argued.

“That's the responsibility of government, Denise.” He shouted over her.

“No, the first responsibility is to protect the best interests of this country. Right?” Denise shouted back at him. Then let's say it. In a national emergency, a country must plan for the future and discriminate between those who are vital to continued stability and...those who are not. And now that we've established that our kids are exempt, the whole principal of random selection is dead in the water anyway.”

“Only so far as...” The black guy interrupted.

“Let me finish. Now look, on the one hand you've got the good schools. And I don't just mean those producing graduates, I mean the pupils who will go on to staff our hospitals, our offices, our factories, the workforce of the future. We need them. Accepted, yes?” Denise asked. “So. Set against that, you've got the failing schools. Full of the less able, the less socially useful, those destined to spend a lifetime on benefits. Occupying places on the dole queue and, frankly, the prisons. Now look, should we treat them equally?” She paused for a few seconds and then continued. “God knows, we've tried, and we've failed. And now the time has come to choose. And if we can't identify the lowest achieving 10% of this country's children, then what are the school league tables for?”

Gwen looked at Rhys as she placed a hand on her still flat belly, seeing in his eyes exactly what she was thinking, that she was so happy their child wasn't born yet. Rhys moved to stand behind the chair she was sat on and put his arms over her shoulders, kissing her softly on the top of the head as they continued listening to the raging debate.

“Anyone want to speak against that?” The Prime Minister asked his cabinet.”Then there we have it. John, you have your criteria. We have selected the 10%.”

“We've got enough evidence recorded here to destroy every person in that room.” Gwen said as the members of the cabinet got to their feet and left the room.

“And we can use it to force our way into Thames House.” Jack replied resolutely. “Finally get face to face with this thing.”

“And get your family released.” Gwen replied.

Jack let out a long sigh. “Everyone know what they're doing?”

“What if I can't get Lois to agree?” Gwen asked.

“She hasn't let us down yet.” Jack replied. “Rhys? OK?”

“Yeah.” Rhys replied, nodding.

Ianto moved quickly across the room, handing Jack a gun, both of them loading them with ammunition and slipping them into the waists of their trousers.

“Let's go stand up to them.” Jack told Ianto, feeling proud for the fist time since he had discovered what was going on at the look of admiration for him back in the vampires eyes.

“Yes, Sir.” Ianto replied, moving swiftly with Jack out of the building and into the car, speeding off towards The centre of the city.

Gwen typed a message to Lois as she splashed water onto her face in the ladies toilets.

'We can stop this but we need your help.”

“Move!” Jack exclaimed as they drove into a traffic jam, becoming instantly gridlocked.

Making an instant decision, the captain, followed by Ianto climbed out of the car and abandoned it where it soon, walking quickly through the streets as Ianto made a call on his mobile.

“Hello? 'It's me.” Ianto said into the phone as it was answered.

“I thought you couldn't call here? Is it all over?” His great great granddaughter answered.

“It's only just beginning.” Ianto replied.

“It's Ianto.” He heard her say, probably to her husband.

Ianto heard him reply. “Tell him I want my car back in one piece!”

“That column of fire over London? Did you see it on TV?” Ianto asked Rhiannon.

“No, I was watching the other side! Course I did, you dumbo.” Rhiannon replied sarcastically. “What's happening? The kids said, they are coming," but who's they? Who is it?”

“Just stop a minute, and listen.” Ianto told her, trying to keep up with Jack as they strode quickly through the streets, heading for Thames House.

“Ianto, just tell me. Who are they?” Rhiannon pleaded.

“They're from another planet.” Ianto replied honestly to her. “They want children. That's why they're here.”

“They what?” She asked, sure she had misheard what he had said.

“They want kids. Millions of them.” The vampire replied, wishing there was more he could do to her her and her family, his only remaining relatives other than with a quick phone call.

“Why?”

“I'm not sure.” Ianto replied. “But don't let anyone take David and Mica, for whatever reason. And this goes for you people listening in on the wire as well. Forget the official secrets act. If you've got children, you need to hear this, and you need to tell every parent you know. Look, I've got to go. I love you. Don't let them out of your sight. I love them too. I'm even warming to Johnny a bit.”

*

“You've got to go, now.” Gwen told Rhys, handing him one of the laptops.

“You're just getting me out of harm's way, aren't you?.” Rhys replied. “You don't think I can hack it.”

“You're the most important part of this whole plan.” Gwen assure him, placing her hands on either side of his face and kissing him quickly. “Now go. You've got a job to do. There isn't much time.”

Gwen moved towards the other laptop as Rhys began to walk across the room, as she motioned to him with her hands to hurry he broke into a run. Gwen settled down with Clem to watch the events on the monitor again.

“We need a cover story to explain why the operation is happening and to encourage participation.” Frobisher address the cabinet. “So the suggestion is, we announce that the children will be given some kind of inoculation. A jab to stop them speaking in unison. We stress that there's no immediate danger. That everyone will be seen in due course. Then when it goes wrong, and the children disappear, we blame the aliens. Claim ignorance, and face the music.”

“We say the 456 double-crossed us?” The black guy asked.

Gwen answered the phone as it interrupted them.

“OK, Gwen. We're here.” Ianto told her.

“Take care.” She replied, both of them then cutting the call and turned her attention back to the laptop, typing in another message to Lois.

'Jack is in position, lets do it.”

“Excellent. It is the aliens' fault. That is where the blame should lie. Not with us.” One of the men replied.

“We play the part of naive dupes, rather than willing accomplices.” Frobisher replied.

“We're not willing. No-one in this room is a willing accomplice.” The Prime Minister told his cabinet.

'Jack is in position, do it now!' Gwen typed to Lois.

“Thank you, John. Comments? Anyone?” The Prime Minister asked.

“This is going to take a hell of a lot of organization. We'll have to stand the police down and put the army in their place.” Of of the men replied. We barely have time to talk, we need to get this thing moving.”

“Then shall we reconvene at 18.00?” The Prime Minister suggested.

“Excuse me.” Lois said hesitantly, raising her hand.

“Lois, stop it.” Bridget told her.

“I have something to say.” Lois continued.

“Really? Well, it's nice you want to make a contribution, er, what was your name?” The Prime Minister asked.

“Lois, Lois Habiba, sir.”

“Well, thank you for your hard work, Lois, it's much appreciated, but this isn't really the best time.” He told her dismissively.

“I'm sorry, sir. I know I'm only supposed to be here to take notes, but erm...I am a voter.” She continued.

“This isn't a referendum.” One of them men told her.

“Lois, could I have a word outside?” Bridget urged, getting to her feet but Lois stood her ground.

“No, but it needs saying.”

“Lois. Seriously. Not now.” Frobisher told her.

“And I'm not just speaking on my own behalf.” Lois said, using every ounce of nerve she had managed to muster up.

“Just what we need, a revolutionary!” One of the mean moaned.

“If you like, sir, then that's what I am.” Lois replied.

“Oh, yeah, you and whose army?” The same man retorted.

“Torchwood.” She told them.

“What?” The Prime Minister replied, looking stunned.

“Don't be ridiculous.” Frobisher added.

“I think she's doing it. Good girl!” Gwen exclaimed to Clem.

“Torchwood has been recording all these meetings. And everything that's been said, around this table, every single word, spoken by every single one of you, will be made public. Unless you do exactly what Torchwood says.” Lois told them.

*

“Jack Harkness. Ianto Jones. We're Torchwood.” Jack stated as he and Ianto walked into Thames House, weapons held aloft in their hands before putting them down forcefully on the counter of the reception desk.

*

Gwen and Clem sat calmly as the men in black invaded the building, calmly turning to face them as they came into view.

“We've been expecting you.” Gwen told the woman in black who had tried to stop them rescuing Jack from his concrete cell.

“On the floor!” The woman ordered, pointing her gun directly at Gwen. “Face down! Hands on your head!”

“You traced Ianto's calls, did you?” Gwen asked, not moving from her position.

“On the floor!” She shouted again. 

“Now that you're here, you can take me to Alice and Steven Carter.” Gwen added as she ignored her. 

“You'll be in the very next cell.” The woman replied. “Second thoughts, maybe I'll just have you shot while resisting arrest.”

“That would be a mistake.” Gwen replied. 

“Why?” She asked.

“Look at what we've been recording.” Gwen said, nodding towards the laptop.

The woman edge closer, hearing the words spoken through the computer.

“And how exactly are you going to make us do this?” The Prime Minister asked. “Torchwood's been destroyed.”

“I'm afraid not, sir.” Lois told him. “Right now Captain Jack Harkness, head of the Torchwood Institute, is in the reception of the MI5 building. So you're gonna stand aside, and let him do his job, and deal with the 456, immediately. And, er... I think that's it.” Lois told him.

“What she's telling them is, my gorgeous husband has recordings of them all secretly agreeing to sacrificing millions of innocent children to the aliens. Now, him, and his laptop, at this very moment, are in a secret location and he's ready to press send and tell the whole world exactly what's been going on, unless you do exactly as we say.” Gwen told the woman in black. “Take a seat. Maybe you'll learn something about the people you've been working for.”

*

As Jack and Ianto rode up to floor thirteen in the lift they barely said a word, the air around both the immortals was thick with apprehension as they wondered if they would be able to talk the alien into just leaving or if they would have to resort to killing it and risking maybe even more mayhem.

“I want to feed the live TV pictures direct to this number.” Jack told the man who met them as they exited the lift. “Can you do that? I can do it.”

“I can do it.” He replied, walking through the halls with them to the room the alien was housed in.

The two immortals walked into the room and stood directly in front of the structure that housed the creature.

“I'm Captain Jack Harkness. I've dealt with you lot before.” Jack told it. “I'm here to explain why this time you're not getting what you want.”

“You yielded in the past.” It replied.

“And don't I know it?” Jack retorted. “I was there. In 1965, I was part of that trade. And that's why I'm never gonna let it happen again.”

“Explain.” The alien replied.

“There's a saying here on Earth. A very old, very wise friend of mine taught me it.” Jack replied. “An injury to one is an injury to all. And when people act according to that philosophy, the human race is the finest species in the universe.”

“Never mind the philosophy.” Ianto interjected. “What he's saying is, you're not getting one solitary, single child. The deal is off.”

“Er, I like the philosophy.” Jack told him.

“I gathered.” Ianto retorted lightly.

“You yielded in the past, you will do so again.” The creature told them.

“In the past the numbers were so small they could be kept a secret.” Jack replied. “But this time that is not gonna happen. Because we've recorded everything. All the negotiations, everything the politicians said, everything that happened in this room. And those tapes will be released to the public unless you leave this planet for good.”

“You yielded in the past. You will do so again.” The creature repeated.

“When people find out the truth, you will have over six billion angry human beings taking up arms to fight you.” Jack continued. “That might be a fight you think you can win, but at the end of it, the human race in defence of its children will fight to the death. And if I have to lead them into battle, then I will.”

“You've got enough information on this planet, check your records.” Ianto told the alien. “His name is Captain Jack Harkness. Go back 150 years and see what you're facing.”

“This is fascinating, isn't it?” The creature replied.

*

“Isn't it? Isn't it?” Clem stuttered. “It knows I'm watching!”

*

“The human infant mortality rate is 29,158 deaths per day. Every three seconds, a child dies. The human response is to accept and adapt.” The creature continued.

“We are adapting, right now.” The captain told it. “And we're making this a war.”

“Then the fight begins.” It told them.

Jack and Ianto looked at each other, not knowing what it meant before Jack spoke to the creature again.

“We're waiting for your reply.”

“Action has been taken.” It told them as alarms began to blare out loudly and lights began to flash.

“What have you done?” Jack shouted at it.

“You wanted a demonstration of war. “It explained. “A virus has been released. It will kill everyone in the building.”

*

“Can they override it?” Gwen asked the woman beside her as Thames house went into lock down.

“I don't know.” She replied.

*

“The building's designed to withstand chemical and biological attack.” Frobisher said. “Nothing or no-one can get in or out.”

“Oh! Happy now?” The Prime Minister asked Lois.

*

“The air's poisoned. Call someone. Shut down the air conditioning.” Jack shouted down the corridor. “Block every air vent. Get gas masks, hazard suits, oxygen cylinders.”

“If there's a virus, then there must be an anti-virus.” Ianto said, cocking his gun and aiming it at the containment unit. “Release it now or I'll blow a hole in that tank.”

“You've made your point. Now stop this, and we can talk!” Jack added as he ran back into the room with his gun at the ready.

“You are dying, even now.” The alien replied.

“You can't get rid of us that easily.” Jack growled as they both started shooting at the unit, the bullets bouncing off without causing any damage and then the alien started admitting a loud pitched scream.

*

Clem clutched his hands to his ears as he tried to block out the noise, writhing around where he stood as if it was physically hurting him.

“Turn it off! Turn it off! Clem?” Gwen told the other woman frantically. “Clem?”

Clem screamed as Gwen held him tightly.

*

“Jack, something wrong, I feel ...” Ianto whispered to Jack. “...the virus is in my system, in my body somehow.”

“No no, you're imagining it, a virus can't affect you.” Jack replied. “Vampires do not die from viruses, you don't breathe, technically you're already dead, how can it harm you, let alone kill you?”

“I don't know, I feel strange, light headed ...” Ianto replied. “Maybe I'm absorbing it through my skin.”

“It doesn't make any sense.” Jack said, becoming more and more upset. “None of your internal organs are alive, how can it cause you any harm?”

“I don't know ... but it is ... I can feel it, it's inside me.” The vampire replied, panic building in his voice as he felt himself being to wobble, feeling unsteady on his feet. “It's an alien virus Jack, we have no idea what effect it could have.”

“A virus is just a virus Ianto, no matter where it comes from.” Jack replied, trying to keep it together. “You're not dying!”

“I think I might be.” Ianto said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“There's gotta be something, an antidote.” Jack shouted at the creature.

“You said you would fight.” The creature replied.

“Then I take it back, all right?” Jack argued. “I take it all back. But not him!”

As Ianto began to topple to the floor Jack caught him, lowering him gently and holding him in his arms.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, Ianto.” Jack mumbled. “No Ianto. This cannot be happening, you can't die, I should have your forever.”

*

Clem kept screaming in agony as blood began to pour from his ear, nose and mouth, his hands still pressed to his ears as Gwen held him, tried to comfort him.

*

“The remnant will be disconnected.” The alien stated.

*

“He's dead.” Gwen told the other woman sadly as Clem became quiet and still, flopping lifeless in her arms she continued to hold him for a moment before laying him down gently. “What about Thames House?”

“They can't get out.” The other woman replied.

*

“It's all my fault.” Jack whispered to Ianto. “I should never have let you come, I should have made you stay behind ...”

“No, it's not...” Ianto said back. “As far as I knew, we knew nothing like this could kill me, I came here willingly.”

“But we should never have taken the risk.” Jack replied, his eyes brimming with tears. “You can't die like this, vampires don't die like this.”

“I love you.” Ianto whispered with a sob, looking Jack straight in the eye, his own having turned silver in an attempt to try and use it to ward off the virus.

“Don't!” Jack told him. “You're not leaving me, don't say it like it's the last thing you'll ever tell me.”

Ianto let his eyes flutter shut.

“Ianto, Ianto, Ianto!” Jack said frantically, shaking his lover gently unable to hold back his tears any longer as they began to stream down his face. “Stay with me! Ianto, stay with me please. Stay with me. Stay with me.”

“Hey.” Ianto replied, opening his eyes again. “It was good, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Jack murmured.

“Don't forget me.” Ianto asked sadly.

“Never could, I won't have to, this is not going to kill you!” Jack told him resolutely.

“A thousand year's time...” Ianto continued, wanting to finish what he was saying and not believing Jack. “...you won't remember me.

“If you die and I have to, then yes, I would.” Jack replied, completely denying to himself that he was losing his lover. “I promise. I would. But I won't have you, you'll still be with me.”

Ianto's eyes closed again as he lay still in Jack's arms.

“Ianto, Ianto, Don't go. Don't leave me, please.” Jack begged sobbing openly. “Please... please don't. This is wrong, you can't leave me like this.”

“You will die, and tomorrow your people will deliver the children.” The alien told him.

Bending down Jack kissed his lover on the lips softly and then collapsed to the floor beside him dead, his hand resting him the vampires shoulder.

*

“What now?” The Prime Minister asked as they watched the two men laying dead on the floor.

“Two choices. Either we go to war against an enemy we can't beat.” One of the cabinet replied. “Or we go to war against our own people. For their own good.”

“An injury to one is not an injury to all.” Denise told them. “We have to surrender.”

“35 million children?” The Prime Minister replied.

“Or 6.7 billion people.” Denise replied.

“Start putting your plan into action.” The Prime Minister told Frobisher.

*  
Gwen followed the soldier into the makeshift morgue, the floor of the huge room was covered with the bodies of the people who had died, covered in sheets with numbers at their feet.

“13, 14.” The soldier told Gwen.

Standing where she was for a few moments Gwen took a deep breath and then moved forwards, past the bodies directly in front of her and towards the back of them room to where the soldier had indicated.

Kneeling between them she reached out and pulled down one of the sheets finding Jack beneath, after allowing herself a few moments to collect herself she then reached out to pull down the other one, her eyes welling up at the sight of the vampire lying there looking even more pale than he normally did.

As she reached out and straightened Ianto's tie she heard Jack gasp softly behind her as Jack came back to life, tears pouring freely down her face as Jack moved to sit behind her and wrap and arm around her shoulders as he let out a sob at the sight of his lover.

“How can he be dead?” Gwen whispered. “How can a vampire die from a virus?”

“An alien virus.” Jack murmured. “Ianto was right dammit, why does he always have to be right.”

“So what?” Gwen hissed. “So what if it was an alien virus, he was technically already dead, it can't have killed him. How can you believe he's dead, you have to do something Jack! I for one can't believe he's been killed by a virus, alien or otherwise.”

“Does it look that way? That I haven't lost him? Because to me it sure does look like it bloody finished him off.” Jack hissed. “Just go, leave me alone with him.”

“Jack, I ..”

“Gwen, please, just go.” Jack begged her.

Gwen got silently to her feet and left the room the same way she had come in as Jack sat cross legged next to Ianto and then pulled him up into his lap not even noting that there was no sign at all of rigor mortis in the vampires body, completely wrapped up in the thought that he had lost him forever.

“Ianto?” He whispered softly as his tears continued to roll down his face. “Are you still in there, can you hear me? Is Gwen right, does she know something I don't, can I bring you back somehow?” What do I need to do?”

Leaning down the captain kissed the vampires cold lips, desperately trying to feed some of his own life force into him but knowing it couldn't work as the other man hadn't been alive to begin with and then sobbed into his shoulder as he tried to think what to do, anything.

Sitting up abruptly some minutes later Jack rummaged around in his pocket for the keys to the Porshe he had been driving, remembering what had been attached to them. As he pulled them from his pocket he allowed himself a small, hopeful, wry smile.

Pulling the blade of the penknife out of it's protective cover Jack put it to his thumb and drew it across the skin, biting down on his lip to stop himself crying out in pain as he made a deep cut. As soon as the blood began to flow from the digit it put it to Ianto's mouth, between his chilled lips and prayed to whoever was listening that it would work.

TBC


	9. Day 5 - Part 1

“Come on, drink, wake up for me.” Jack pleaded in hushed tones to his lover as he lay in his arms. “Please.”

But the vampire didn't respond it any shape or form, he just lay in Jack's arms showing no signs the he was going to come back from the effects of the virus. Jack slid his thumb out from between Ianto lips, cursing under his breath when he realised the wound he had inflicted on it had healed.

“Fine!” Jack muttered under his breath as he held the penknife to his wrist and cut deep, straight through his artery, pressing the palm of his other hand firmly to it as the blood tried to spurt upwards in an arc until he pressed it to Ianto's mouth.

The immortal could feel his wrist pulsating as the blood spurted from his body into his lovers mouth, knowing that if this didn't work then nothing was going to he manoeuvred them so the were laying in a close embrace on the floor.

Jack knew he would have a lot longer before the injury started to heal itself but he didn't care how many times it might heal, he would keep doing it until he passed out from a lack of blood if her had too.

“Drink, swallow.” Jack urged as the blood dribbled out from between Ianto's lips and down his chin. “Please.”

He was getting weak, he had lost far too much blood and the wound hadn't even begun to close up. As he tried to focus on Ianto's face and not the amount of blood that was escaping the vampires mouth and running down to soak his shirt his mind began to become clouded and fuzzy he closed his eyes and settled his head on his other arm in readiness for the darkness to take him.

Jack almost missed it, the tiny spike of pain in his wrist, thinking that he was imaging it at first. Summoning up his last ounce of energy Jack forced his eyes open and lifted his head to look at his lover.

Ianto's eyes were still tightly closed but his fangs were buried deep in his wrist, looking closer he could see the vampire was swallowing albeit slowly and shallowly. There was no pressure to his wrist, despite having his fangs buried in Jack's flesh Ianto was just letting the blood flow into his mouth as if he didn't have the energy to suck.

The captain placed a soft kiss to Ianto's brow as fresh tears began to spill down his cheek and drip onto his lover as he felt a surge of adrenalin keeping himself concious. Ianto was coming back to him, the alien virus had been defeated by the vampires body proving them all wrong except Gwen it seemed.

“Ianto.” Jack whispered softly. “Open your eyes, open your beautiful blue eyes for me.”

Ianto's eyes fluttered slightly but remained closed as Jack felt his fangs push deeper into the flesh of his wrist and the tell tale feelings that came with Ianto feeding from flowing through his body as the vampire began to suck instead of just swallowing.

“It's okay, I can wait.” Jack told him softly, his head beginning to swim as he felt the world around him starting going black, closing his eyes again. “Take what you need.” 

“Jack.” The rasped whispered words barely reached Jack's ears. “Jack.”

Forcing his eyes open he saw Ianto looking at him, blood smeared around his mouth as he smiled softly at his lover.

“How did you know?” Ianto asked, his voice strained, still looking far more pale than normal.

“I didn't, it just seemed like the right thing to do.” Jack replied, his head throbbing from the blood loss. “You've had enough? Enough blood?”

“For now, you need to recover. I think I've almost drained you.” Ianto said, turning in Jack's arms to face him properly and kissing him softly on the lips.

“If you need it take it.” Jack told him. “I'll come back.”

Ianto shook his head slightly. “I'm fine for now.”

“I really thought I'd lost you forever.” Jack whispered. “I need to tell you something, something I should have told ...”

“It's okay, you don't have to say it.” Ianto told him gently.. “I know you do, you need to save your energy to recover.”

Jack gazed deep into Ianto's eyes, gulping back a sob before replying.

“No, I want to tell you, I love you Ianto. I should have told you a long time ago.” Jack replied, looking directly into his lovers eyes and reaching up to brush his fingertips down his cheek.

“As should I, we're both idiots aren't we?” Ianto replied. “Unable to even admit were a couple let alone how we feel about each other.”

“Yeah.” Jack smiled, feeling better by the minute as his body started replenishing his lost blood. “I really don't have anything against the word couple.”

“I know, it was me that kept denying it.” Ianto admitted. “Your reaction in the hospital told me that you were comfortable with Rupesh thinking that we were a couple.”

“If you hadn't reacted the way you did I was ready to admit it to the whole world.” Jack chuckled softly. “Shouted it from the rooftops.”

Ianto replied by pressing his lips to Jack's in a deep, loving kiss, their arms tightened around each other as it got more heated until Jack broke away panting softly.

“As much as I love being in your arms again we have to pretend you're still dead.” Jack told Ianto sadly.

“Why?”

“If they know you're not stone dead they're going to get suspicious as to how you've come back as well and we'll both get locked up.” Jack explained. “You have to get out of here and find help, I have to put this right and I can't do it locked in a cell and I'm counting on you to get Alice and Stephen out of that containment building.”

“Gwen?” Ianto asked.

“She's your ticket out of here, I'll make sure they send your ... body ... home with her so Rhiannon can make arrangements for your funeral when this is all over.” Jack replied.

“But she'll know yes, that I'm okay?” Ianto asked, although the thought of her suddenly finding him as large as life spring from a coffin did make a smile cross his lips.

“Yeah, what's so amusing?.” Jack frowned.

“The thought of giving Gwen the fright of her life!” Ianto chuckled.

“You're bad man Ianto Jones.” Jack smirked.

“Yep!” Ianto grinned. “Are you sure they'll agree to it?”

“They caused me to lose my lover, it's the least they can do.” Jack told him.

“What about Rhiannon? I have to tell her I'm alive and to protect the kids.” Ianto told Jack.

“No, not yet.” Jack insisted. “I'll get Gwen to go and see her, explain.”

“She'll tell her I'm okay?”

“She'll make sure the kids are safe.” Jack replied, ignoring the question. “I have to go now, I wish I didn't but if I don't they'll come looking for me, wondering why I haven't revived.”

“As soon as Alice and Stephen are safe I'm coming back for you.” Ianto told Jack. “Whatever it takes, I will get you out of any cell they lock you in.”

“I'm counting on it, someone has to sort out this bloody mess and it looks like it's down to us, to Torchwood.” Jack replied, placing a soft kiss to Ianto's lips as he moved from his embrace and got to his feet.

“I will be back.” The vampire told him as Jack walked from the room, grinning to himself as Jack stopped, turned and winked at him as he blew him a kiss.

Pulling the red sheet back other his head Ianto lay waiting for someone to come and collect his 'body', thankful that he neither needed to breathe or suffered from claustrophobia as the sheet moulded to his face.

*

Jack and Gwen sat at the small table in a room in Thames House and watched as Frobisher and Bridget walked past the bodies on the floor towards them, waiting till they were both seated before Jack looked a nervous Frobisher in the eye, his own face clearly showing his grief over the loss of his lover.

“The threat still stands.” Gwen spoke, unaware that Ianto was actually alive and trying to do what she could to save Jack from having to talking to them.

“Haven't we gone past that?” Frobisher asked her.

“My husband is still out there with everything you've done recorded on his laptop. One word from me and he will release that information to the public.” Gwen replied, trying to use it to threaten him into doing what she wanted.

“What do you think Torchwood is now?” Frobisher asked. “Do you think you're still players?”

“We can try.” Gwen replied.

“We're at a tipping point right now. Civilisations about to fall into hell.” Frobisher told her. “You wanna start that descent a little earlier? Go ahead.”

“He's right.” Jack said, speaking for the first time. As he glanced over at the covered dead bodies on the floor not ten feet from them. “Look what happened. “Phone Rhys, tell him we've lost.”

Gwen got up quietly from her seat and moved away from them, calling Rhys on her phone.

“Hello? Yeah, me, I'm bloody freezing.” Rhys said to her as he answered the phone. “Where are you? You all right? Do you want me to send the files?”

“It's too late, sweetheart They've killed him. Not just Clem, they've...” Gwen paused for a moment, tears rolling down her face as she carried on. “They've killed Ianto. He's dead.”

“Dead? What do you mean dead?” Ianto replied. “How?” I mean, he's, well you know!”

“I don't know, but somehow that Alien virus got into his body and killed him.” Gwen replied as she choked back a sob. “Apparently even a vampire couldn't survive it.”

“How's Jack?” Rhys asked gently.

“Broken, so broken.” Gwen whispered. “I'll see you soon sweetheart.”

*

“What about Lois?” Jack asked Frobisher.

“I'm afraid Miss Habiba is in police custody.” Frobisher informed him. “Charged with espionage.”

“Then what about my daughter and her son?” Jack replied.

“They're free to go.” Frobisher told him as Jack let out a small sigh of relief, but he'd still need Ianto to make sure they stayed safe.

“Ianto Jones, he's got family back in South Wales, Rhiannon, has she been told?” Jack asked.

“We're not releasing any of the names, not yet.” Frobisher replied solemnly.

“Then let Gwen tell her, take his body home so she can bury him, grieve properly.” Jack asked, watching Gwen as she slid down the wall behind her and sat on the floor sobbing. “You said yourself the world is going to hell any second. Before it does, give us a moment of grace. For me? Please? Just take Gwen home with his body, please. I can't look at her any more.”

“That would be against protocol Captain ..”

“You think I give a fuck about protocol? My friend ... lover is dead because of this, me and the least I can do is make sure he gets the burial he deserves!” Jack hissed, a tear rolling down his cheek. “Even I can't be there to say goodbye.”

“I'm sorry I didn't know ...” Frobisher began.”

“I don't want your apologies, all I want is for you to do what I ask.” Jack replied, getting more and more upset as each moment passed.

“I will make sure Ianto Jones body leaves with her, I promise you.” Frobisher promised.

“Thank you.” Jack whispered his reply, trying not to smirk through the grief he was portraying at how easily Frobisher had swallowed his request.

*

Jack watched, with Gwen and Rhys at his side as Ianto's body was carried in a body bag by two soldiers and placed on the floor of the helicopter, chewing on his lip as if he was trying to hold back his tears as he thought about how the vampire was still risking everything for him.

After a small hug from Rhys Jack turned to Gwen and pulled her close, hugging her tightly as he whispered in her ear.

“You were right, Ianto's not dead.”

“What? But the body bag.” She whispered back, trying not to react with shock to Jack's words as she felt him slip something into her pocket.

“Read it, I'll explain.” Jack told her as he pulled out of the hug.

Giving him a small smile Gwen took Rhys' hand as they made their way at a jog to the helicopter, glancing down at the body bag as they took their seats and waited for it to take off before pulling the note from her pocket, unfolded it and began to read.

You were right about Ianto, all he needed was my blood. No one can know he's still alive before you get back to Cardiff, if they do he'll be straight back here in a cell at best, being experimented on at worse and I need him out there to make sure Alice and Stephen are okay like Frobisher promised.

Ianto has a great great granddaughter, Rhiannon, she has children. While Ianto's helping me please make sure her kids are safe, they're all the family he has. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not to tell her Ianto is okay, but I don't think she'll broadcast it for his sake.

Jack.

“What is it, what's wrong?” Rhys asked Gwen as tears of relief slid down her face as she let herself smile.

Gwen just handed him the note which he scanned through quickly.

“Bloody hell, that's brilliant!” Rhys exclaimed as he handed it back.

“I know.” Gwen said, pulling him close as she cried with relief.

*

The police officer led Jack to the cells, speaking as he unlocked one of the doors.

“Cell M-3, Captain Harkness.”

As he walked into the cell and stood still as the cuffs were removed he could hear Lois calling out from the one opposite him.

“Captain, is that you? Captain Harkness, it's me. It's Lois. It's Lois. Captain? What are they doing? What's happening out there? Can you hear me? What do we do? Captain?” She called.

Jack sat down on the small bunk, not knowing quite how to reply to her. If it wasn't for Torchwood, for him she wouldn't be locked away now. His thoughts turned to Ianto, hoping that he had managed to get away unseen and was on his way to the containment unit to make sure his daughter and grandson were okay.

*

When the helicopter landed the hearse to take away Ianto's body to the undertakers was waiting for them along with Andy, stood beside his police car. Gwen watched as two men got out of the car and took charge of Ianto's body, carrying it to the vehicle and sliding it into the back before moving to speak to them.

“Do you mind, could I just have a minute?” Gwen asked politely.

“Yes, of course.” One of them replied, indicating to the other they should move out of earshot.

Once they were far enough away Gwen reached in and unzipped the body bag, noting that Ianto didn't seem quite as white as he had in the makeshift morgue and spoke softly to him.

“Ianto, it's me, Gwen.”

Ianto slowly opened his eyes and glanced about himself before replying.

“Never thought I'd ever see the inside of one of these.” He said quietly with a small shudder.

“Oh Ianto.” Gwen said in hushed tones, a smile playing on her lips. “I'm so glad you're okay, I told Jack you would be.”

“I just needed blood, the virus contaminated the only living thing in me and it made my body shut down completely, feeding off Jack refreshed by system.” Ianto replied at a whisper.

“The undertakers are going to take you to a funeral home, they have strict instructions not to do anything with you until they are contacted by your family.” Gwen told him. “We'll talk about that little secret at a later date, anyway, once they leave you alone then you can make a run for it.”

“Won't they question my body vanishing?” The vampire asked.

“I'm not sure they'll want the government to know they've lost you, official secrets act and all that.” Gwen told him. “And they'll never get a call from Rhiannon so I suspect they'll just cover it up.”

“I hope so.” Ianto replied frowning.

“I better go, I've been talking to a corpse for far too long as it is.” Gwen told him, placing a small kiss to his cheek. “Save Jack's family, I'll keep yours safe for you.”

“Thanks Gwen.” Ianto replied as she zipped the body bag closed again.

*

Alice and Stephen looked scared as Johnson opened their cell door, wondering just what was coming next, but she just told them to follow her. As she led them through the corridor she told them that they were no longer prisoner's and took them to the main control room of the building.

“You might want to take a look at this.” Johnson said, leading them to a computer monitor that was showing the image of the child hooked up to the 456.

Alice looked in horror and steered her son away before he could see it properly.   
“Stephen, come on.”

“I want to see.” Stephen protested.

“Not now, darling, this is for grown-ups.” His mother told him as she led him across the small room.

“Suzanne, get him a Coke or something.” Johnson called out to one of the soldiers and Alice let him go with her before returning to watch what was on the monitor and getting more and more upset and shocked as Johnson explained what she was seeing.

“It's inside Thames House.” Johnson told her. “All recorded by Torchwood, they're inventive, I'll give 'em that. That's a child, abducted in 1965. Now they want more, millions more. And in two hours' time, the government is handing them over.”

Alice looked at her in horror.

*

“Everyone's on standby.” Andy told Gwen as he drove them to their destination. “It's red alert. Riot gear and everything. All ready to mobilise, except no one's saying why. What's going on?”

“I can't tell you.” Gwen replied bluntly.

“I am the police!” Andy exclaimed, a little hurt that she wouldn't explain what was happening.

“Right now, Andy, I need you to drive this car.” Gwen sighed, a little annoyed with him, looking out the window beside her to avoid looking him in the eye. “ And if I told you...”

“What? Well, come on, then. What? Don't you bloody hate people who don't finish their sentences?” Andy stropped at her.

“Hey, she's pregnant.” Rhys warned him.

“Oh, thank you. Who's she when she's at home?” Gwen snapped at her husband for letting the cat out of the bag,

“Bloody hell fire.” Andy retorted. “Who's the father?”

“Oh, I'm slapping you, yeah?” Rhys told him.

“It's Torchwood.” Gwen replied, trying to put her feelings into words. “That's what did it. They give you retcon and chemicals and radiation and God knows what. Bloody Pill didn't stand a chance. That's what Torchwood does, you see. It ruins your life.”

“How is it ruined?” Rhys asked.

“You wanna have kids in a world like this, Rhys?” Gwen snapped sadly.

“You're not getting rid of it.” Rhys told her, upset that she would even think like that.

“Is that right?” She retorted before turning back to Andy. “Take the next left. Ianto's ... sister ... lives off the Cromwell Estate.”

There was no way she could say it was his granddaughter, that would open an even bigger can of worms that she had no intention of dealing with on top of everything else.

*

Jack looked through the small circular window in the door of his cell as he heard footsteps outside, seeing Bridget being let into Lois' cell. He tried to hear what was being said but the two thick doors and the corridor in-between made it impossible.

The captain sat back down on his bunk, wondering if they were offering her some kind of deal. He couldn't fathom what it could be but he hoped she wouldn't take them up on it, no matter how good it sounded.

They, he owed Lois big time and when this was over he was going to make sure she was free at least, none of this was her fault.

*

“Rhys, you stay here. Give us a shout if anything happens.” Gwen told him as all three of then climbed out of the police car after pulling up outside the house where Ianto's great great granddaughter lived..

“Like what?” Andy asked, but Gwen just continued talking to Rhys before replying.

“Just keep an eye out, yeah?” Gwen sighed, walking away with Andy towards the front door.

“Look, listen, there's a lot more going on.” She tried to explain. “You've just got to trust me, okay. She's got two kids and we need to find out where they are. That's why we need a car, we might have to pick them up from school and take them back to mine, okay?”

“Back to yours? What for?” Andy asked as he rang the doorbell.

“Andy, we've got to look after these kids. Just do what I say, please.” Gwen asked as the door opened.

“Hello, I'm Police Constable Andy.” He started but Rhiannon cut him off.

“You're not shutting me down.” She told them before they could explain. “They've got food, they've got drinks, proper drinks and I got permission off their parents. Come on, have a look. I'm not apologising.”

Rhiannon moved away from the door and into the house, indicating that they follow her and led them into the living that was teaming with children.

“Johnny.” She said simply, causing him to look up and see Andy and Gwen enter the room.

“Go and do a proper job.” Johnny said with a sigh, turning his attention back to the game he was playing on the TV.

“I know I need a licence for a crèche, I'm not thick.” Rhiannon ranted. “This is emergency circumstances, right? I'm not trusting the telly.”

“If we could have a word in private...” Andy tried to ask.

“They're not even paying, so it can't be illegal, right?” She added.

“No. I know. It's not about the kids. I just need a word, if we could.” Andy persisted.

“How many are there?” Gwen asked, scanning the room and wondering how the hell she could tell which ones were Rhiannon's.

“Nineteen.” Johnny replied, still glued to the game he was playing.

“But what are they doing here?” Gwen asked.

“Well, they're not gonna go to school. No way.” Rhiannon huffed. “If they want 'em, they'll have to come and get 'em.”

“We just need a word.” Andy insisted.

As Rhiannon and Johnny led them into another room Gwen turned to Andy.

“Stay here, with the kids yeah?” She suggested.

“But I should be there ...” Andy tried to insist.

“No, Jack asked me to do this.” Gwen replied. “I have to do this for him.”

“Fine.” Andy grumbled as he moved back to the living room, slumped down on the sofa with the kids and picked up Johnny's discarded game controller and joined in the game.

“Okay, what's going on?” Rhiannon demanded as soon as they were out of earshot. “Do you work for this Torchwood too?”

“Torchwood?” Johnny asked wide eyed. “Ianto works for Torchwood?”

“Yep.” Gwen replied, knowing that if Rhiannon already knew there wasn't much point denying it. “And well, the thing is, well, everyone thinks he died in Thames house.”

“He's dead?!” Rhiannon exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. “How, how can he be dead? It's not possible, he's a ...”

“Yes, I'm well aware what Ianto is, and no, he's not dead but the rest of the world has to think he is so we can try and put this right.” Gwen replied. “He and Jack went to try and sort out a ... problem but it backfired on the. There was a virus released and it killed everyone in the building. Jack sent me here to make sure your children are safe.”

“Jack, his boss? His partner?” Rhiannon asked making Gwen smile.

“Yeah, his partner.” Gwen replied. “Not that either of them seem to want to admit it.”

“A virus can't kill a vampire ...” Rhiannon asked, a little confused. “But ...”

“It affected his blood, once Jack worked out that Ianto needed to feed he recovered from the effects of the virus.” Gwen replied. “You don't seem surprised that Jack's not dead?”

“Ianto told me that Jack was immortal, not that he went into details.” Rhiannon grumbled. “Getting that much out of him was a miracle.”

“Ianto is rather private about his ... well, private life.” Gwen replied. “Only Jack knew about you and your family.”

“He told me he loved him, you know.” Rhiannon smiled. “That he loved Jack.”

“Anyone would be blind not to notice how they feel about each other.” Gwen chuckled.

“So, are you going to tell me what's going on? Do you know what's happening to the kids? Why did Ianto phone me and tell me not to let the kids out of my sight?” Rhiannon asked becoming serious again.

“Oh, God. Look, I haven't got time to explain, okay? But they are coming for your kids. I swear.” Gwen replied. “Is there anywhere you can take them? I don't know, anywhere safe?”

“Who's going to take them?” Johnny asked frowning.

“The government, they're sending soldiers that are going to come into your house and they're going to take your kids and I'm sorry, but you've got to believe me. As I said, that's why they think Ianto is dead, okay?” Gwen stressed to them. “They're gonna come and they're gonna take your kids, you'll never see them again.”

*

Ianto jumped from the cab of the lorry in which he had hitched a lift and landed effortlessly on the ground after thanking the driver. Setting off across the fields at a jog it wasn't long before the containment unit came into view.

The place still gave him the shivers as he thought about what they had done to Jack in that very building, hesitating for a moment as he looked down and wondered where all the soldiers were.

It seemed completely deserted to him, letting his vampire self through to the surface Ianto scanned the area again with new eyes, the sentry was missing from the gate and was nowhere in sight.

Making his way down the hill his pace got faster and faster until he was sprinting at speed, straight through the abandoned gate and up the road to the building, not stopping until he reached the door. Expecting someone to be lying in wait for him behind it, he peered through the small crack.

With still no sign of anyone in the place the vampire moved stealthy, using his eyes and ears to their full potential as he crept along the corridor, finally hearing sounds coming from a room at the end.

Peering through the small window he could see the soldiers playing football with a small boy and Johnson talking to a dark haired woman, Ianto listened carefully to hear their conversation.

*

Johnson carried the polystyrene cup of coffee over to where Alice was sat watching her son playing football with the soldiers, handing it to her as she filled her in on what was happening.

“It's started.”

“Jesus!” Alice replied, shocked that they were actually carrying out their plan.

*

“They're here.” Rhys said, running into the house and interrupting Gwen, Rhiannon and Johnny.

Following him outside they saw the army vehicles, soldiers everywhere as they watched. Gwen told them again how they needed to get the children out of there, away from the soldiers as Rhiannon and Johnny began to panic realising she was telling the truth.

*

“He'll be fine.” Johnson told Alice, sitting down beside her as they both watched Stephen playing with the soldiers. “The nice kids are safe. If you're gonna get rid of 10 percent , then take the10 percent you don't want. All those kids on street corners, we've finally got rid of them.”

“While everyone else just stays indoors?” Alice replied. “Ninety percent just hugging their kids, not making a sound, just like they did before. I don't even know your name.”

“I protect the state. I was brought up to believe in and protect the state.” Johnson said as a way of explanation.

“Not much good now, are you?” Alice told her sadly. “Even if 90 percent look the other way, what sort of world are you leaving behind? I swear to you, if your duty is to protect the state above and beyond any other authority, then the one person you need right now is Jack Harkness.”

“That's the most sensible thing I've heard today.” Ianto exclaimed as he walked through the door and into the room where they sat.

TBC


	10. Day 5 - Part 2

“Jones? But it can't be, you’re,” Johnson paused as she looked into Ianto's eyes, “dead”

“Technically!” Ianto smiled. “Just not as dead as everyone thinks.”

“Your eyes; they're ... What the hell?” Johnson stuttered, not believing what was in front of her.

“What is it? What's wrong? Who is this?” Alice asked, seeing the confusion on the other woman's face.

“I'm sorry, you must be Alice,” Ianto replied politely, holding out his hand. “Ianto Jones, Torchwood employee, Jack's lover and Vampire!”

“Did he say Vampire?” Alice asked Johnson.

Johnson nodded, speechless for probably the first time in her life.

“Jack sent me to make sure you, Alice and Stephen were released as Frobisher promised. Now we have to free Jack so we can get to work and sort out this mess,” Ianto told them.

“Vampire?” Johnson asked, not listening to a word he had just said.

“Yep.” Ianto grinned, flashing them a glimpse of his fangs, before they retracted and his eyes took on their normal blue hue.

“Shit!” Johnson exclaimed.

“I should get Stephen out of here,” Alice said, worry and concern in her tone of voice.

Ianto rolled his eyes and smiled. “I'm not going to bite, if that's what's worrying you,” he told her. “I'll be okay for now, but that's another reason we need to get Jack out of prison; I'll need to feed again soon and only he will do.”

“You're his lover, that's what you said, right?” Alice asked.

“More than that. I’ m his ... partner,” Ianto admitted.

“Oh god, my immortal father has an immortal lover!” Alice exclaimed, shaking her head. “Only he could find another immortal to share his life with; two of you to make me feel ancient.”

“I could rectify that?” Ianto offered, cocking an eyebrow and looking pointedly at her neck.

“No! No!” Alice shuddered.

Ianto laughed as he turned to Johnson. “So, what's the plan to get Jack out of that prison cell?”

“I ... Is that how you came back, Jack's blood?” Johnson asked, still completely thrown by the sight of the seemingly young man before her.

“Jack worked out I needed uncontaminated blood, cut his wrist and almost died again to bring me back,” Ianto replied. “I refused to take more - to put him through it again in such a short space of time - but it wasn't really enough and I'm going to need ... him soon.”

“It has to be Jack?” Johnson asked, nodding at the soldiers still playing football with Stephen.

“I would prefer it to be,” Ianto admitted. “We have a connection. I haven't fed off anyone else in quite a while.”

“Then we better get ‘round to breaking him out of prison,” Johnson stated.

*

Jack sat with quietly with his head in his hands as the police officer opened the small hatch in the door of his cell to check on him. He didn’t move until he heard the sound of some kind of commotion outside in the hallway, and he leapt up, peering through the small spy hole.

As the cell door was unlocked and pulled open, Jack came face to face with the men in black who had kept him prisoner before.

“ What's going on?” Jack shouted as he was pulled roughly from the cell and dragged away by the men.

“Move,” he was told as they hurried him along.

“Hey!” was all Jack managed to respond as he was propelled along by them.

“Go, go,” One of the men ordered as Lois called out from the other cell, trying to work out what was happening.

*

Ianto paced back and forth across the room, waiting impatiently for the soldiers to return with Jack.

“I should have gone with them!” He shouted out to Johnson.

“Not unless you wanted them to discover that you're alive; what you are,” Johnson replied.

“I can't stand all this waiting about, not knowing what's happening,” Ianto growled.

“They’ve got him, and they're on their way back, ma'am,” one of the radio operators called out a second or two later.

“See? All is fine,” Johnson said, looking back at Ianto.. “They'll be landing soon.”

*

“Yeah, they're spies,” Gwen told the little girl as she helped her on with her pink coat. “Hush now, darling. Nice and quiet, don't make a sound. Just like a game, yeah?”

“Control, is anyone there?” Andy asked, speaking into his radio, only to be by nothing other than static.

“Fingers on lips,” Rhiannon told the little boy she was helping with his coat. “Now, you don't make a noise until we get there, okay? You stay nice and quiet, and I'll get you some sweets, yeah?”

“Where is this place?” Rhys asked Rhiannon.

“It's down by the field. It's all boarded up,” Rhiannon replied as Gwen rushed to their side.

“Right, look. We've got to go right now,” Gwen stated, beginning to panic that they wouldn't get away before the soldiers invaded the house, looking for the kids.

“Okay. Come on, everyone...” Rhiannon told the kids. “We're playing spies. Now, come on. That's it; no one makes a sound.

“Alpha 186 to Control. Can you hear me?” Andy asked, trying his radio again and still not getting any response.

“Are you coming, Andy?” Gwen asked as the kids filed out the room.

Andy just ignored her and headed out of the front door.

Gwen, Rhys, Rhiannon and Johnny led the kids out the back of the house and down the side, keeping them quiet and close to the wall so they weren't heard or seen.

“You take them. I'm going out the front. Somebody's gotta stop them,” Johnny told his wife.

“No, Johnny. Don't be stupid!” Rhiannon replied, scared for her husband.

“It's not just us, you daft sod,” Johnny replied softly.

After a small, brief kiss Johnny ran in the other direction. He was going to try and help his neighbours and friends. They would try buy as much time for the others as they could.

Kicking in one of the corrugated panels that boarded up the building, Rhys made an entrance for them, encouraging the kids to enter quickly as he held it back, replacing it once they were all inside.

“Oh, it's stinking!” a little blond boy exclaimed.

“Keep your voice down,” Gwen whispered to the children. “Yeah, what I need you to do is to be as quiet as you possibly can, like mice.”

*

Alice watched as first Dekker - recognising him from the footage Johnson had shown her - then Jack were led through the corridor, surrounded by the men in black. Stephen immediately jumped to his feet and ran towards the man he knew as his uncle.

“Uncle Jack!” Stephen shouted excitedly as he approached him.

“Hey, soldier!” Jack chuckled, exclaiming, “Whoa!” as Stephen hugged him.

“We haven't got time!” Johnson called out as Alice took her son's hand.

“Listen. Stay with your mum, okay?” Jack told him as Alice led him away.

“Sorry. Would you...?” Alice asked one of the soldiers, handing her son to her. “I'll be back,” she swore, running after her father and the soldiers.

Taking them into the huge main hall, the soldiers pulled them to a stop and un-cuffed them as Johnson spoke.

“This should be everything you need. And if it's not, we'll find it.”

“For what?” Jack asked, rubbing his wrists.

“Wavelengths. The 456 are named after a wavelength and that's got to be the key to fighting back,” Johnson replied.

“You're wasting your time; there's nothing you can do,” Dekker told them. “I've analysed those transmissions for 40 years and never broke 'em.”

Raising her gun Johnson shot him straight in the leg without warning, barely acknowledging him shouting out in pain or falling to the floor as she turned back to Jack.

“What do you think, Captain? They told me you were good. Are they right?”

Jack turned his head to look behind him. Seeing both Alice and Ianto stood side by side, Jack broke into a huge grin, not caring who was watching as Ianto moved quickly to him and kissed him soundly.

“We don't have much time,” Johnson admonished them, but with a small smile on her lips as she watched the lovers kiss.

“Get everything you can ready, we'll be with you in five, ten minutes max,” Jack told her as Ianto dragged him from the room, down a corridor and into what appeared to be a supply room.

“Ten minutes, eh?” Ianto chuckled. “Then we should make the most of it.”

“Just feed on me, dammit!” Jack exclaimed, fumbling with Ianto's belt buckle. “I know you must need to, and I need you.”

Ianto kissed his lover softly, eyes turning silver as he pushed back the collar of Jack's shirt, trailing kisses along Jack's jaw and down his neck, before sinking his fangs into the Captain’s neck at the spot where it met his shoulder, making as the other man moan softly.

This time Jack let the arousal that came with being fed from flow through his body completely, feeling himself harden almost instantly as he finally got the vampire’s trousers open and shoved them down to his knees, along with his briefs, and then set to work on his own.

As soon as Jack's trousers were in the same state as the vampire’s - braces unclipped from them at the front - the Captain clasped his hands to Ianto's arse and pulled him close, wrapping a hand around both of their cocks.

The fingers of his other hand dug into the soft flesh of the vampire’s buttocks, as he pumped their erections furiously. Nothing about their time together was going to be slow.   
Ianto moaned into Jack's neck as he continued to feed, feeling his own orgasm approaching as his lover worked their cocks together in his fist. The small pulsations of Jack's as he approached orgasm as it pressed tightly against his own, increasing his own arousal as Jack came with a loud grunt, his come spurting out over the flesh of their stomachs and his fist.

With a long drawn out moan, Ianto came seconds later, detaching his mouth from Jack's neck as he gasped out his name and pressed his forehead to his, as they both grinned at each other.

“Think we managed it in less than ten minutes?” Jack panted.

“Yep,” Ianto replied, smiling then kissing Jack softly. “Maybe we should have used the stopwatch.”

“There's always later for that,” Jack grinned.

“Later it will be timing how slowly we can take it,” Ianto corrected, placing his hands on Jack's hips.

“We should clean up and get back; we have a world to save,” Jack said, reaching down and pulling a clean handkerchief from Ianto's trouser pocket, and using it to clean his hand and their bodies.

“No one's going to miss the scent of sex on us,” Ianto said, pulling his briefs and trousers back up.

“I really don't care,” Jack replied, fastening his belt and braces again. “I thought I had lost you forever; nothing else matters now that I have you back.”

“Except for saving the world?” Ianto replied, taking Jack's hand in his and leading him out of the small room again.

“Yeah, lets get that done, then we can spend an eternity in bed,” Jack grinned.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Ianto smiled as they entered the main hall again.

“Let's get to work,” Jack told Johnson and the soldiers, not letting go of his lovers hand until they reached the computers. “Get us access to the Torchwood software.”

“Log on to the servers and...” Jack said as he typed a command into one laptop, then moved to another adding, “Welcome back!” as he gained access.

“It still won't work, there's nothing on there. It's useless,” Dekker told him.

“We've got technology way beyond you,” Ianto told him as Jack kept typing on the laptop.

“We hacked into Torchwood years ago, you idiot. There's nothing,” Dekker argued.

“You really think you got into all our systems?” Ianto asked, leaving Jack's side and moving closer to the man. “You got into what we wanted you to, to stop you trying to dig deeper.”

“We're not idiots; we'd have known if there was more,” Dekker snapped.

“Oh really?” Ianto smiled. “Well, you didn't have the genius of Toshiko Sato and, believe me, she could have made what you did see look complete.”

“And where is she now? When you need her, where is Miss Sato?” Dekker smirked.

“Don't you even dare speak her name!” Ianto sneered, his eyes flashing silver, as his bared his fangs.

“What the hell?” Dekker asked, looking scared. “Hey, I recognise you ... You ... You're ... What are you?”

“Isn't it obvious?” Ianto smirked. “Vampire. It takes a lot more than an alien virus to kill me off.”

“Bring him over here,” Johnson ordered, before Ianto could speak again.

Two of the soldiers pulled Dekker to his feet as Alice called over to Jack.

“Dad, Ianto, come and look at this.” She waved them over. “It's some sort of pirate station. They're trying to get the story out to the public. They're taking the kids.”

“We're broadcasting this on Digital 141. It's the kids! Tell everyone to tune in to 141,” a voice said.

*

The kids sat quietly in the abandoned building as Gwen spoke into the video camera Rhys was holding, as she cuddled a little girl.

“There's one thing I always meant to ask Jack. Back in the old days. I wanted to know about that Doctor of his. All those times in history when there's no sign of him; I wanted to know why not. But I don't need to ask any more; I know the answer now. Sometimes the Doctor must look at this planet and turn away in shame. I'm recording this in case anyone...” Gwen paused and sighed before continuing. “...in case anyone ever finds it, so you can see...You can see how the world ended.”

Rhys turned off the camera, wiping away the tears that were rolling silently down his face.

“You didn't mean it, did you? About...” Rhys asked, stuttering, “getting rid of it?”

“No, of course I didn't,” Gwen replied sadly.

“Good.” Rhys nodded.

“I would never... Never. I wouldn't do that to you, sweetheart. No, I wouldn't, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry,” Gwen told him as he hugged her tight. As he pulled away, Gwen stoked the hair of the small girl and asked her if she was alright.

*

“If we cycle the wavelength back at them...” Jack suggested to Ianto and Johnson.

“I know what you're trying to do. A constructive wave,” Dekker said, getting more and more negative as if he didn't want them succeed. “Do you think people aren't working on that all over the world? But it's never going to work. The effect would be like shouting at the 456, that's all. Just shouting.”

“I could snap your neck like a twig,” Ianto sneered at him. “You'd be dead before you'd even realised I'd moved.”

“Ignore him,” Jack told Ianto, before turning to Johnson. “Why did Clem die?”

“It was the 456 that killed him,” Johnson replied.

“But, how did they do it? Why did they do it?” Jack asked her.

“We've got the recording here,” Johnson told the Captain, heading over to the other laptop as Jack spoke.

“His mind must have synced to the 456 back when he was a child. But they didn't need to kill him. He wasn't any threat. Unless maybe… maybe that connection hurt them,” Jack surmised.

“This is the 456 at the moment of his death,” Johnson informed him as she typed a command into the laptop. “We've lifted the sound from the Thames House link.”

At that moment the awful sound made by the 456 filled the room: a loud screeching noise.

“That sound, Mr Dekker, what's that sound?” Jack asked.

“I don't know. That's new,” Dekker replied, looking a little confused.

“Exactly, it's new,” Jack smiled at him.

Ianto cocked a smug eyebrow;if anyone was going to work out a way to get rid of the 456, it would be Jack.

“You can do this,” Ianto told Jack, squeezing his hand briefly.

“We can do this,” Jack corrected.

“Yep,” Ianto agreed, moving to the other laptop to see if he could come up with anything.

“ You see, Mr Dekker, we don't have to analyse the wavelength, just copy it,” Jack told him, as he looked at the laptops monitor with him and Dekker. “Copy it and turn it into a constructive wave. But we've got no way of transmitting.”

“Of course you have,” Dekker replied with a smirk.

“Shut up,” Jack told him bluntly, knowing exactly where he was going.

“Same way as them,” Dekker added.

“I'll find something else,” Jack stated firmly.

“What does he mean?” Johnson asked Jack.

“Don't listen to him,” Jack ordered.

Johnson turned to Dekker. “Dekker, tell me.”

“The 456 used children to establish the resonance,” he began to explain.

“Meaning, what?” Johnson asked.

“We need a child,” Dekker stated simply.

Jack kept quiet as the conversation went on around him, the look on his face becoming more and more worried and upset, as Dekkker spoke.

“What do you mean?” Alice asked.

“Centre of the resonance? Oh, that child's going to fry,” Dekker explained.

Jack couldn't look his daughter in the eye as she spoke. “No, Dad. No, tell them no.”

“One child or millions,” Johnson said, interrupting her.

“Dad, no,” Alice begged. “Dad, tell them no!”

“We're running out of time.”

“Dad, no! No, Dad!” Alice screamed at her father.

“Captain!” Johnson said simply.

Still staring straight ahead Jack nodded once.

“Stephen!” Alice screamed loudly, running from the room.

“Jack, what the hell are you thinking?” Ianto shouted at him. “He's your grandson!”

“I have to. I don't want to but I have no choice,” Jack replied quietly.

“There has to be another way!” Ianto argued.

“There's no time,” Johnson interrupted.

“Do you see any other kids here?” Jack spat, desperately trying to hold himself together.

“He's just a child, Jack. An innocent!” Ianto retorted. “You're killing your only grandson.”

Jack didn't reply, not looking at his lover as he fought back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

*

“Rhys,” the little boy called him to the gap in the building where they had got in.

Rhys ran the sort distance and looked out.

“Quick!” Rhys shouted. “Incoming! Everybody out! Quick! Everybody out!”

The three adults and the children fled the building, running away quickly as the soldiers broke in through the same place they had.

“Quick! Come on! Let's go!” Rhys continued. “Quick! Come on. Quick, out.”

*

“Stephen! Stephen!” Alice screamed as some of the soldiers held her back, others picking her son up and running away with him towards the main hall. “Stephen!”

*

Gwen, Rhys and Rhiannon ran across the open waste ground with the kids, the soldiers hot on their heels.

*

“What are we doing, Uncle Jack?” Stephen asked as he was placed on a circular metal plinth in the middle of the main room.

“Jack, you can't do this,” Ianto hissed quietly.

“I have to,” Jack replied, stony faced as he typed into the laptop, then the other, moving back and forth quickly between the two. “There's no time to argue with you.”

“Fine!” Ianto exclaimed, leaving Jack's side and rushing from the room to Alice.

As Alice escaped the soldier’s clutches she ran to the door, just after the vampire made it though. Ianto didn’t realise they had locked it behind him, until he saw Alice frantically trying to get in and bashing on the window,, screaming.

Pulling her into his arms, Ianto held her tight as they watched the events in the room, trying desperately to give her come comfort, but knowing it was futile.

*

Jack’s eyes glistened with tears as he set the signal in motion; watching helplessly as his Grandson’s mouth opened wide and an unearthly sound emitted from it. There was nothing he could do as he stood there, knowing that his Grandson wasn't going to survive the process.

As Stephen began to shake violently, Jack bit down hard on his lip, his mind telling him to stop what was happening, to turn it off and save Stephen, but in his heart he knew it was already too late. Tears poured down his face as he watched him fall to the ground, dead.

*

Alice howled in Ianto's arms as she watched the events in the other room. As soon as they unlocked the door, she ran in and dropped down beside her son, pulling him into her arms as she cried.

“No, no, no, no, no! Somebody help him. Help him! No, please, no. Why? Why? Oh, please...” She cried as Ianto moved to her side. “Can you ... Can you bring him back to me?”

“I'm sorry, it's too late ...” Ianto replied, tears pouring down his face for her loss as he glared at his lover, seeing Jack's tears but not caring at that exact moment how the other immortal felt.

Jack could do nothing but watch, tears streaming down his face at the sight before him.

*

Jack sat alone in the corridor, leaving Alice and Ianto alone with his Grandson. Hearing the door open he looked up to see Alice staring at him, wordlessly she turned back through the door the way she had come.

“You're going to stay with him, aren't you?” she asked Ianto.

“Yep,” Ianto replied. “I'm not sure how long it will be before I can ... understand how he could have done ... what he did but he needs me.”

“You can tell him ... I have no father,” Alice stated, turning and walking away quietly.

*

Ianto walked slowly out into the corridor where Jack sat, not knowing what to say to his lover.

“Ianto, I ...”

“We need to get out of here Jack,” Ianto told him, walking past him and out the double doors at the other end of the corridor as Jack rushed after him.

TBC


	11. Day 6 - Part 1

When they had left the containment building, Jack had had to jog to catch up with Ianto. He tried to take his hand, but Ianto refused to let him, yanking his own out of the way. Following the vampire to the main road, they walked in silence. Even when a car stopped and offered them a lift to the nearest town - thanks to Ianto's hitch hiking skills - they never traded words.

If the man driving the car thought it was a little strange that Ianto had got in the front passenger seat, and Jack in the back, he never said a word, and didn't question that Jack sat silently in the back, while Ianto exchanged minimal pleasantries before lapsing back into an uncomfortable silence, and was probably very relieved when he pulled up outside the county hotel and dropped them off.

They both thanked the driver profusely, as they left him. Neither of them noticed him sit and watch them for a few moments until they vanished through the door, wondering why they looked a little familiar, before shaking his head and driving off, telling himself not to worry about it.

Jack had stood quietly while Ianto checked them into a room, paying with cash after his card was declined but refusing to let the woman behind the desk retain it, snatching it from her hands with a small involuntary growl that he somehow let escape and scaring her a little as she rushed through their booking in.

Their silence continued all the way up to their room. Once inside, Jack kicked off his boots, slid his coat from his body and curled up into a ball on the bed, hugging a pillow to himself. Ianto made use of the in-room internet to hack into the banks systems and unfreeze their accounts - including Gwen and Rhys' - before removing his own shoes and joining Jack on the bed. Unable to ignore how much his lover was hurting, he curled against his back as he felt Jack shuddering with silent sobs and just held him.

*

When Ianto woke in the very early hours of the next morning he found himself alone. Worried that Jack might have done something stupid, he leapt from the bed and grabbed his shoes, before realising he could hear the sound of running water.

Dropping the shoes back on the floor, Ianto headed for the bathroom. Turning the handle and finding the door unlocked, he walked straight in and found Jack sat naked in the bath, hugging his knees as the shower cascaded over him. From the way he was shivering, Ianto knew the water was cold.

Reaching up and adjusting the temperature, Ianto didn't bother to undress; he climbed into the bath under the now warm water and wrapped himself around his lover, kissing him on the forehead as Jack burst into tears again.

“It's okay cariad,” Ianto whispered, speaking to him for the first time since they had left the containment unit. “It's okay.”

“No, it's not,” Jack replied, his voice hitching as he sobbed. “It's really not.”

“Lets get you out of here and dry,” Ianto said, pulling Jack up with him as he got to his feet.

The Captain let Ianto lead him out of the bath and wrap a towel around his body. Then, grabbing another, Ianto quickly stripped off his wet clothes and wrapped it around himself, leaving his clothes hanging from the shower rail as he took Jack back through to the bedroom.

Once Jack was dry, Ianto get him back into bed - this time under the covers – and, after towelling himself quickly, the vampire joined him. He pulled Jack into his arms and began talking softly to his lover.

“I hated you for what you did. I couldn't understand why you would do something like that to your own grandson,” Ianto told him. “You broke your daughter’s heart, and she'll never forgive you for that.”

“Why are you here?” Jack asked. “If you hate me?”

“Because when it's all said and done, I know why you did it. One child for millions of others,” Ianto replied. “I'm not sure I will ever understand how you could even stand to watch that happen to Steven, but I do know if there was any other way to have got rid of the 456, you would have done it. I don't hate you.”

“Alice will never speak to me again. Not only have I lost Steven, I've lost my daughter as well and I barely knew her as it was,” Jack replied sadly. “I've lost everything.”

“You still have me,” Ianto whispered. “I told Alice when she asked me if I was staying with you that I was because you needed me. But the truth is, I need you just as much. I love you, Jack Harkness, and it seems we are destined for each other in a way I've never felt before.”

“I don't deserve your love after what I did ...” Jack trailed off.

“You're a hero in the eyes of the world. You saved all those kids,” Ianto told him. “Yes, Steven died, but it wasn't in vain, he was a hero too.”

Jack nodded slowly. “Steven saved the world, not me.”

“Yep, that's one way of looking at it,” Ianto replied with a hint of a smile.

“Do you think Alice will ever forgive me?” Jack asked, already knowing the answer.

“No. Sorry, but I don't think she will,” Ianto shook his head, a tear rolling down his cheek as he remembered her sobbing into his arms and her anger with her father afterwards.

“Are your family safe, Rhiannon and the kids?” Jack asked.

“Yeah. I got a text from her while we were in that car yesterday,” the vampire told him. “She has no idea how or why the 456 were defeated, and I didn't enlighten her. I just told her I'd be in touch.”

“I wondered who it was. I thought it might have been Gwen,” Jack confessed. “I can't face her at the moment. The fact that she's pregnant and will have a child that isn't ashamed of its father - its parents.”

“You don't have to see anyone you don't want to,” Ianto assured him.

“I want to meet Rhiannon and her family; I want to be more a part of your life. No secrets between us about anything.”

“Any time you want. She can't wait to meet my handsome boyfriend - partner,” Ianto corrected himself.

“As a couple.” Jack smiled softly.

“As a couple,” Ianto agreed.

“I love you, Ianto. I'm going to tell you that as often as possible now.” Jack brushed his fingers down Ianto's cheek and wiped away the tears that had slid down it.

“I've known for a long time that you do, but it's good to hear you actually say it,” the vampire smiled, lifting Jack's hand with his own and placing a kiss on the palm.

“When I thought I'd lost you, I couldn't believe I had never told you how I felt,” Jack admitted. “I thought you'd died without ...”

“I knew,” Ianto assured him. “It doesn't matter now.”

Jack moved closer and pressed his lips to Ianto's, kissing the vampire softly.

“I need you,” the Captain murmured against his lover’s lips. “I need you, so much.”

“I need to feed. Is that okay?” Ianto asked.

Jack had barely finished nodding in reply when the vampire kissed him firmly, his lips parting in anticipation as the immortal’s tongue swiped across his lips, before sliding into his welcoming mouth.

Their arms wrapped tightly around each other’s bodies as they lost themselves to the kiss, tongues dancing together, fighting for dominance. As the kiss became more and more heated, Jack had to pull back, panting.

“Show me,” Jack whispered, watching as the vampire’s eyes turned from blue to silver. A shiver of excitement flowed through his body as Ianto bared his fangs, and he gasped softly when Ianto bit down on his lower lip, breaking the skin.

The Captain couldn't hold back the soft moans that escaped his mouth as Ianto lapped at the blood that seeped from the wound on his lip, his own tongue snaking out to taste his own blood on his lover’s tongue.

“You taste so good,” Ianto whispered, giving the healing wound one last lick.

“Keep tasting,” Jack panted, looking straight into the vampire’s eyes.

“Oh, I intend to.” Ianto trailed kisses along Jack's collarbone, before latching onto his neck, sucking the tender skin into his mouth and grazing it with his teeth, but not breaking the skin as he left a purple mark blossoming on the spot. Continuing the kisses down Jack's chest, he teased a nipple into an erect nub with the tip of his tongue, making Jack gasp softly beneath him.

Sucking it into his mouth, Ianto bit gently, areola, sucking the small droplets of blood quickly into his mouth, knowing the small incisions would heal fast. He dragged his teeth across the smooth skin of Jack's chest, leaving tiny red droplets of blood in their wake, as he bit down harder on the other nipple, making Jack moan loudly, as his back arched off the bed.

“Ianto ... Oh God, Ianto...” Jack panted. The sheet beneath them balled into his fists, as the wonderful sensations swept through his body, desperately trying to keep control of his growing orgasm, not wanting to come too soon. “Fuck! Just bloody fuck me, already.”

“Soon.” The vampire smiled, licking away the droplets of blood with the flat of his tongue, leaving a damp trail as he slid it down the Captain’s body and teased his belly button with its tip, making Jack grasp his hair and tried to push his head further south .

Ianto let out a small chuckle as he parted Jack's thighs with his hands, and moved to settle between them. Leaning forward, he licked his way up the underside of Jack's cock, from base to tip as Jack canted his hips upwards.

The vampire took a moment to watch Jack's erection bob about as Jack rolled his hips, before wrapping a hand firmly around it, stroking him firmly. Ianto ducked his head and sucked the tip into his mouth, his tongue delving into the slit, tasting his lover’s essence as he sucked softly.

“Ianto.” The words that formed the repeated mantra would have barely been heard, had Ianto not been a vampire. “Ianto ... Ianto... Ianto ... Ianto.”

Feeling the tell tale signs of Jack's rapidly approaching orgasm, Ianto let the Captain’s cock slip from his mouth and he gently squeezed the base with his thumb and forefinger to stave off his orgasm for a little longer; smiling again at the sound of Jack letting out a groan of frustration.

Pushing Jack's thighs a little wider apart, Ianto explored the exposed area with his hand, sliding it over the soft skin and silky hairs until he found what he was looking for. Not only could he sense the femoral artery pulsing in Jack's groin, he could actually hear the blood it contained rushing in his ears.

Without warning Ianto bit down hard; the blood gushing into his mouth as Jack bucked up off the bed. Grasping the Captain’s hips, Ianto held him steady as he fed. Jack gasped and panted as pleasure ran through his body, sending him spiralling over the edge, his body going ridged as his orgasm overtook him; his come shooting in white streams over his belly.

Jack thought he might die from pleasure, as the orgasm pulsated through him over and over while Ianto continued to feed. Torn between pulling Ianto up to kiss him and not wanting the feeling to ever end, he whimpered as he felt Ianto's fangs withdraw from his body.

The vampire leant forward and kissed Jack, letting him slide his tongue inside to taste his own blood in his lover’s mouth. Letting Jack take control of the kiss, Ianto ran his fingers through the rapidly cooling come on Jack's skin, before delving between the other man’s buttocks and teasing his entrance.

Ianto’s finger slid easily into his lover’s hole. As he felt Jack relax, he pushed in as deep as possible, twisting the digit to sweep over Jack’s prostate. Jack gasped into his mouth, feeling his cock beginning to harden again between their bodies, as their kiss grew to feverish heights.

Breaking the kiss, he gasped for air. Jack ducked his head and looked into his lover’s eyes, seeing the love in them as the vampire finger fucked him. He needed more.

“Fuck me,” Jack begged, panting heavily.

Ianto kissed him softly and withdrew his finger from Jack’s body. Jack was barely prepared and still tight, but Ianto knew that they both needed to feel each other as completely as possible; he would stop if Jack needed him to.

Moving back onto his heels, Ianto coated his hand with the rest of the come from Jack's stomach and used it to lubricate his cock.

The vampire aligned his cock with Jack's entrance. Pressing the blunt head to it, then slowly, and carefully, sliding it out; watching Jack's expression as he did so. Jack parted his legs even wider - pulling them back as he bit down on his lower lip at the small, but delicious, burn that came with Ianto's cock entering him; feeling every inch of his lover as he impaled him.

“Need me to stop?” Ianto asked, seeing the slight hint of pain on Jack's face.

“God, no!” Jack exclaimed with a groan.

Sliding further into his lover’s body, Ianto gave Jack a couple of moments to adjust, before he began to move. Thrusting slowly and deeply, he revelled in the tight heat of Jack's channel around his own cock. Watching through his eyelashes, he groaned when Jack's hand grasped his cock and stroked it in time with Ianto’s thrusts.

“More. Faster,” Jack pleaded, arching his back off the bed, working his cock faster. Ianto placed his hands on the bed either side of Jack's body, bracing his arms as he began to piston into Jack's body with abandon.

Nothing but the sound flesh hitting flesh, their pants and moans filled the room as they both drove themselves to the edge. Jack let out a strangled yell of Ianto's name as he came for the second time, coating his body once more.

The contractions of Jack's arse around him sent Ianto spiralling down the same path; his come shooting into his lovers arse. His cock pulsated as he continued to thrust into the Captain’s body, riding out his orgasm for as long as he could before he collapsed, spent onto his lover’s body.

“You’re sticky,” Ianto mumbled against Jack's lips, before kissing him softly.

“Don't care.” Jack sighed, just happy to be in his lover’s arms again.

“The sun’s coming up,” Ianto noted, nodding to where the light was beginning to filter in through the thin curtains over the windows. “What do you want to do? We can just stay here if you want?”

“No, I'll just wallow.” Jack shook his head. “I need to be doing something, anything. I can't let myself think about...”

“I understand,” Ianto said softly, knowing he meant Steven.

“I want to go back; back to Cardiff and see how much the Hub was destroyed by the bomb,” Jack told him. “But we should go and see Rhiannon first; so she can see for herself that you're okay.”

“We have no transport, but I have reactivated our bank accounts. I'll find out if there's somewhere we can hire a car - we’ll buy one if we have to - and I think I need some clothes too.”

“Showering in your clothes isn't usually recommended,” Jack said with a wry smile, not looking Ianto in the eye.

“True, ” Ianto replied sadly; the image of Jack huddled beneath the cascade of cold water invading his mind again.

“So, shower, dress and breakfast?” Jack suggested, drawing the vampire from his thoughts.

“Sounds good to me,” Ianto agreed, removing himself from Jack's body and getting off the bed.

The vampire held a hand out to his lover. With a smile Jack slid his own hand into Ianto’s and allowed himself to be pulled off the bed and into his arms, kissing him softly before Ianto led him into the shower.

Putting his now dried, but rather ruined clothes out of harm’s way, Ianto started the water running, climbing under the shower with Jack when the water was hot enough. They took their time, kissing tenderly as they washed each other - not moving from under the water until it began to cool.

As they dressed quickly, Ianto despaired at the sight of his clothes. His shirt was okay, if a little crumpled, but his trousers hadn't fared so well and had shrunk an inch or two in the leg, making them hang unflatteringly above his ankle.

He opted for leaving the top two buttons undone and his tie off, as they made their way down for breakfast. After a quick meal of toast and coffee, Ianto enquired about hiring a car and was given directions to a place a couple of streets away - along with the whereabouts of a clothes shop when he asked; He was dutifully ignoring the stares his trousers were getting from onlookers.

Less than an hour later they were in a hired SUV and heading for Cardiff. It wasn't as flash as the stolen Torchwood car but it would do the job. Ianto had opted to buy jeans and a T-shirt, instead of a new suit, knowing that he had plenty of them at his house, along with spare clothes for Jack as well.

In the end, Jack had opted to go straight to the Hub - or what was left of it - before going to see Ianto's Great-Great-Granddaughter. Ianto wasn't sure going to the Hub was a good idea; all it would do was bring back bad memories, he was certain of it but it Jack had insisted.

He was also musing that maybe it might be too soon for Jack to finally meet Rhiannon and her family; worried that Jack would react badly to the fact that Ianto's grandchildren were still alive when his was dead, by his own hand nevertheless.

The vampire was still struggling himself with Jack's actions, but he was slowly beginning to understand why he had been forced to do it, and it had obviously broken him in a way that would probably never mend completely.

The Captain was strangely quiet as they drove along the motorway. Ianto knew he was thinking about what had happened over the last few days, and he wondered if he would ever come to terms with his actions.

Ianto knew that whatever happened - when they went to Rhiannon's or in the future - he would be there to comfort him.

The road signs said there were less than twenty miles left to go before they reached Cardiff. Taking a hand off the steering wheel, Ianto squeezed Jack's thigh, trying to give him some comfort.

Jack placed his hand on top of the vampire's, looking at him briefly with a small smile, before retreating back into his thoughts.

TBC


	12. Day 6 - Part 2

They had only travelled another four or five miles when Ianto caught something out the corner of his eye, trying to keep one eye on the road ahead he smiled as the large shaped swooped into view again over the fields.

“Jack, look!” Ianto said excitedly with a smile on his face, nodding to the right with his head.

Leaning forwards, Jack looked past Ianto and across the landscape; a smile crossing his face when he realised what he was looking at.

“Myfanwy! Oh god, I forgot all about her,” Jack replied. “She was out when the bomb went off?”

“Yep, I let her out just before you returned from the hospital,” Ianto explained. “Night was falling and she was in one of her restless moods; I remember thinking the exercise would calm her down. I admit I forgot all about her, too.”

“We've had more important things on our minds.” The captain sighed. “I wonder if Janet...”

“We won't know ‘til we get there what the extent of the damage is,” the vampire replied. Jack was fond of Janet, he knew; even if she were a Weevil not that he would ever admit it.

“It's not safe for Myfanwy out here. If someone were to catch her...” Jack shuddered at the thought of what they might do to her.

“She's not stupid and she's capable of fending for herself food wise,” Ianto replied, thinking of all the dead rodents he'd found the remains of in her nest when he'd cleaned it out. “There's nowhere for us to keep her now.”

“I know, I just don't want anything bad to happen to her, after she escaped the bomb.”

“She's a prehistoric animal Jack, her survival instincts are strong,” the vampire rationalised.

“I guess.” Jack sighed as she flew out of sight. “Do you think the lock down saved the lower levels from destruction?”

“Those doors are meant to be blast proof,” Ianto replied. “The main Hub would have been destroyed, along with all our equipment and the Rift predictor.”

“Those idiots had no idea what havoc they might have caused by their actions. If the Rift can't be monitored anything could slip through unseen,” Jack replied. “None of this was meant to happen, you know? This event wasn't in Earth's history. Something, somewhere along the way changed the time line.”

“But the 456 did visit earth back in 1965?” Ianto asked.

“Yeah. But it wasn't me who originally handed over the kids, and the 456 weren't meant to come back.” Jack frowned. “The Twenty-First Century is when it all changes, that wasn't just a line I used to try impress; the events weren't meant to begin because of them.”

“You mean the demolishing of the Hub has exacerbated the situation?” the vampire frowned.

“Maybe. Unless the Rift, and what comes through it, can be controlled all Hell could break loose on Earth and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it,” Jack explained. “Earth could be destroyed by anything.”

“Shit, Jack. What do you think changed the time line?” Ianto asked carefully.

“Me,” Jack replied bluntly.

“You? How?” Ianto asked, clutching the steering wheel tightly.

“Well, if I had never come here ... I must have changed some things without realising it just by being here. I should never have stayed to wait for the Doctor,” Jack replied. “It's...”

“Don't you dare say it's all your fault!” Ianto exclaimed angrily. “You had no control over what happened to you when you were with the Doctor the first time, or what Rose did to you.”

“But I stayed,” the captain said sadly. “I stayed.”

“If you hadn't, I never would have met you, so don't even think of telling me you wish that hadn't happened either,” Ianto fumed.

“No, I'll never regret that,” Jack said softly, taking Ianto's hand off his thigh and entwining their fingers together. “Never.”

“Well, at least we're agreed on one thing,” Ianto grumbled as they drove towards the Plass, parking as close as possible.

“What a mess,” Jack said sadly as they walked towards the area cordoned off with cones and temporary metal fencing.

The rubble had been cleared away and the gaping hole covered with heavy wooden boards, but the extent of the destruction was still evident.

“We can try and enter though the lover levels?” Ianto suggested, pulling his lover away from the mess.

Jack nodded and let Ianto lead him away. Getting back into the car, they drove round to the parking garage. The explosion must have knocked the whole system out as the door opened easily without even the need for security protocols. Drawing their weapons, they entered tentatively in case someone hostile had got there before them.

Grabbing the torches that were kept just inside the door with a few other items in case of an emergency, they turned them on and headed into the darkness. The passageway they were in seemed completely untouched by the explosion, they realised as they made their way through to the door leading into the Hub and the level that housed the cells.

As soon as they reached Janet's cell they knew they were too late. There were no outward signs of how she'd died, but Ianto guessed it was starvation; weevils had a veracious appetite and she'd been without food for six days already.

“She must have suffered,” Jack said sadly, gazing at her body.

“I know, but we can't dwell on it,” Ianto replied gently. “There was nothing we could have done.”

“Yeah,” Jack agreed reluctantly. “Come on, we need to check the morgue.”

Holstering their weapons now they were sure there weren't going to be any unpleasant surprises, they made their way to their destination. Jack sighed with relief when he realised that the backup generator for that area alone was still working.

Ianto watched as Jack ran his fingers over the doors of the drawers, all employees of Torchwood from Alice Guppy and Emily Holroyd to Gerald Carter and Harriet Derbyshire, to Alex Hopkins and Suzie Costello and all those in between and after, before he settled on the one that housed Toshiko Sato.

Jack tried to stifle a sob as he thought about them all. They had all died so young and there he was; surviving even a bomb blast to outlive them forever. Leaning back into Ianto's embrace, he felt the vampire’s arms wrap around him from behind.

“It's not your fault they’re dead, Jack. They knew the risks of their job and what the consequences were,” Ianto told him softly.

“Toshiko and Owen, they died because of me,” Jack whispered.

“No, they died because of your brother. You had no idea what he was capable of,” Ianto told him firmly. “You could never have predicted what he was going to do.”

“But he did it because he blamed me for what happened to him. If I hadn't let go of his hand...” Jack trailed off.

“You were just a kid yourself, Jack. You were just as scared as he was,” Ianto tried to rationalise. “You didn't just let go of his hand; he let go of yours.”

“Yeah, maybe. But I'll still never forgive myself for their deaths,” Jack replied, nodding slowly as Ianto moved around to face him and kissed him softly.

“One day you will,” The vampire told him. “At least he can't do anyone else any harm now.”

“He's the reason I needed to come back here; to make sure Gray was still safely frozen,” Jack admitted. “The generator is on a different system to the rest of the Hub. It will keep running indefinitely, unless something happens to the power source.”

“Maybe we should move him?” Ianto suggested.

“He's okay here for now,” Jack replied.

“So what now? Do we fix the Hub, get it up and running again to try protect Cardiff from the Rift?” Ianto asked, still holding Jack tight.

Jack shook his head. “I can't bear to be here. Too many bad memories.”

“I can't see Gwen being happy with that decision,” Ianto replied.

“I don't care what she thinks. What do you think?” Jack asked him.

“It's your decision. You've given a huge chunk of your life to Torchwood; they owe you,” Ianto told him.

“Gwen can do what she likes with the place; she's always wanted to be in charge,” Jack replied. “If she wants to rebuild and hire a new team, then she has my blessing.”

“You'll cut all ties completely?” The vampire was a little shocked that Jack could just dismiss everything so quickly; despite his mourning for everything he'd lost.

“Yeah, I need to get away from this place,” Jack told him, looking him in the eye. “With, or without you.”

“Oh, I'm with you. Being apart from you feels like part of me is missing,” the vampire told him. “Something is binding us together; like we are destined to remain with each other for... well, as long as we have each other. Don't you feel it too?”

“I do, but I didn't want to presume you felt the same,” Jack replied.

“Wherever you go, I will be with you,” Ianto told him firmly, cupping Jack's chin and kissing him tenderly. “We'll tell Gwen our decision; whether she likes it or not.”

“Nothing will change my mind,” Jack replied. “I need to be anywhere other than Cardiff for now, at least.”

“And, out of here as soon as possible,” Ianto told him. “This whole place feels like a morgue at the moment, and that's not good for either of us.”

Jack nodded. “Time to go and meet your family; they are mine now too, after all.”

“No, Gwen first. We have to get that over with before anything else,” Ianto told him. “I'll call her and get her to meet us in the coffee shop round the bay.”

“Good idea, somewhere public where she can't...” Jack started. “Can't you do this alone? I'm don't really want to see her again just yet.”

“It won't take long, Jack. As soon as we've told her the plan we’re out of there, I promise,” Ianto replied.

“Okay,” Jack replied, resigned to the fact. “Call her and arrange the meeting. The coffee shop is perfect, public and...”

“Since when has that ever stopped Gwen voicing her opinions?” Ianto replied with a small chuckle.

“True, but it'll help keep it to a minimum,” Jack agreed as they exited the Hub the same way they had entered. Leaving the car where it was, they walked back to the Plass as Ianto pulled out his mobile.

“Ianto? Where are you? Is Jack okay?” Gwen asked without even saying hello.

“Jack's fine, we both are, and we're back in Cardiff,” Ianto answered, rolling his eyes as he did so and making Jack smile a little. “We need to discuss things with you. Can you meet us at the coffee shop around the bay, as soon as possible?”

“Consider me already on my way,” Gwen replied.

“Bring Rhys,” Ianto added as an afterthought; he had a feeling she might need him to be there for her.

“Sure,” Gwen replied, the confusion evident in her voice. “We'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Ianto said goodbye and called the call, before taking Jack's hand in his.

“She's coming?” Jack asked, knowing it was probably a silly question.

“Of course,” Ianto replied. “She'll meet us there.”

“Why did you tell her to bring Rhys?” Jack asked.

“Because she won't be happy that you're leaving and she has all those pregnancy hormones flooding her body, making her even more emotional that she already is,” the vampire sighed.

Jack nodded slowly as they entered the coffee shop. “Yeah.”

*

They were on their second cup of coffee when Gwen and Rhys arrived. Gwen sat with them while Rhys want to get their order.

“So, you've seen the mess the main Hub’s in?” Gwen asked, looking at them both. “What are we going to do? Rebuild it and relocate somewhere else?”

“It's up to you,” Jack replied as Rhys handed her a drink.

“Me? I don't understand,” Gwen frowned.

“I can't stay, Gwen. I need to get away, from Cardiff - from Torchwood,” the Captain replied.

“But, we need you here; to get Torchwood Three operational again, Jack,” Gwen insisted. “You can't expect Ianto and I...”

“I'm going too,” Ianto said, cutting her off.

“But, what the Hell do I do?” Gwen hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

“As I said, it's up to you.” Jack sighed. “Hire yourself a whole new team if you want. Hell, Rhys can help you.”

“I can't do this without you, Jack,” Gwen whined.

“Yes, you can, Gwen. You know you can, and you're not going to guilt trip me into staying, so don't even mention that you’re pregnant,” Jack replied, know what was coming next. “You are perfectly capable of running Torchwood Three; like you did when I was away with the Doctor.”

“Maybe I don't want to do it run it again without you here,” Gwen countered.

Jack shrugged. “That's your choice, but I'm not staying here a moment longer than I have to.”

“Where will you go?” Rhys asked as Gwen fell strangely silent; like an admonished child.

“Anywhere. It's a big planet, and I've barely left Cardiff in all the time I've been here,” Jack replied.

“Will you be back?” Gwen whispered.

“I don't know,” Jack replied honestly.

“Okay,” Gwen replied, her eyes glistening with tears. “But I will repair the Hub. I'll make you proud of me, Jack Harkness.”

“I always am,” Jack replied, giving her a small smile as he and Ianto got to their feet.

“Keep in touch, yeah?” Rhys asked as he pulled his now sobbing wife into his arms.

“We'll try,” Jack replied as they walked away.

“Jack, wait!” Gwen called after them before they'd even got a few steps. Pulling away from Rhys, she caught them up. “I thought you should know... I know when and where Stephen's funeral is.”

“I won't be welcome,” Jack replied.

“You should still know,” Gwen insisted, taking a piece of paper from her pocket and giving it to him. “The details are all on there. You need to say goodbye, Jack.”

“I don't know if I can,” Jack admitted.

“Think about it, okay?” she replied.

“I will,” he promised, slipping the folded paper in his pocket without looking at it. “Bye, Gwen.”

Gwen watched them walk away, out the door and across the Plass as tears rolled down her face; tears for Jack and Ianto, for Stephen and Alice, and for herself as Rhys joined her and held her tight.

“Okay love?” Rhys asked.

Gwen nodded. “Lets go home.”

*

As they drove towards Rhiannon's, Jack pulled the piece of paper from his pocket and read the few words written on it.

St. Mark’s Church  
11.15am  
Wednesday 15th July.

“When is it, Jack?” Ianto asked.

“Four days time,” Jack replied, putting the note back in his pocket. “There's no address, but I know the church. It's near where Alice lives. Her adoptive parents are buried there.”

“We can go, Jack. If you want to,” Ianto told him softly.

“I'm neither invited, nor wanted,” Jack replied, staring out the passenger window; hiding the tear that slid down his cheek from Ianto.

“She doesn't have to know we're there, Jack,” the vampire told him gently. “But, if you don't go - don't say goodbye - you'll regret it.”

“I'll think about it,” Jack told him, wiping away the tear as they turned into the estate where Rhiannon lived. “Did you tell her we were coming?”

“Nope,” Ianto grinned as they pulled to a stop outside a house. “She'd have a shock if she actually knew I was going to turn up.”

“Let’s go, then. I want to meet these Great-Great-Great-Grandchildren of yours,” Jack told him, a little too brightly. “Do they - the kids - know what you are?”

“Yep,” Ianto replied, unclipping his seatbelt and opening his door. “But, they've had it instilled in them since they were tiny that it's not something they tell anyone.”

“Don't you worry they'll let it slip?” Jack asked as they walked down the path to the front door.

“They're kids. Who's going to believe them that their Grandfather is as old as I am, and a vampire? I mean, come on, no one thinks vampires are real unless they see one,” Ianto replied, ringing the doorbell. “And, as far as I know, I'm the only one currently in Wales.”

“True,” Jack chuckled softly as the door opened.

“Ianto! Oh my god, Ianto,” Rhiannon exclaimed, pulling her Grandfather into her arms and hugging him tight.

“She calls you by name?” Jack asked surprised.

“Well, it seemed a little strange her calling me Grandfather, when she looks older than I do,” Ianto replied as she pulled away and slapped his arm.

“Less of the old, thank you,” Rhiannon told him with a grin. “So, is this Jack, then?”

“Captain Jack Harkness. Pleased to meet you,” Jack introduced himself, holding out a hand to take hers and kissing the back of it softly as Ianto rolled his eyes.

“You were right, he is handsome and a right charmer,” Rhiannon laughed as Jack released her hand. “Come in.”

“Where are David and Mica?” Ianto asked as Rhiannon clicked the kettle on.

“With Johnny. All the families on the estate are organising a street party to celebrate... well, life really, I suppose, after what happened,” Rhiannon told them. “Tea or coffee, Jack?”

“Tea, thanks,” Jack replied, eyeing up the jar of cheap instant coffee beside the kettle.

“Ianto, do you want anything?” Rhiannon asked the vampire.

“Yep, I'd love a cup of tea,” Ianto grinned at her, knowing she loved it when he acted human.

“Coming right up. You two go and make yourselves comfortable in the living room, I'll be through in a moment,” Rhiannon told them, popping teabags into mugs.

“You okay?” Ianto asked Jack as they settled on the sofa.

“I'm not sure I ever will be again,” Jack told him sadly, his mind still replaying his grandson's death over and over in his head.

“We are going to the funeral, Jack. You have to have some kind of closure,” Ianto told him.

“As soon as it's over we're out of here - this country,” Jack replied. “I don't care if we go to Timbuktu, as long as we're as far away from the UK as we can be.”

“We'll go anywhere you want,” Ianto promised Jack as Rhiannon appeared with three mugs of tea in her hands. She handed them theirs, before sitting in the armchair opposite, not missing the tears welling up in Jack's eyes.

“What's wrong?” Rhiannon asked them, concerned. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Nothing, it's okay,” Jack told her, rubbing his eyes. “Can I use the loo?”

“Sure. Upstairs, first on the left, love,” Rhiannon told him.

“Ianto, tell me what's wrong?” Rhiannon asked softly once she heard the bathroom door closing.

“Jack lost his grandson,” Ianto told her. “He feels responsible, guilty and devastated.”

“Why would he feel responsible?” Rhiannon pushed.

Ianto bit on his lip, wondering just how much he should divulge to his granddaughter. “His grandson saved all the children - he saved David and Mica - but gave his own life in doing so.” Ianto paused for a moment. “There was no other way, it seemed. They needed a child to get rid of the alien threat and Stephen was the only one...”

“Wasn't there some other way? Why didn't you stop him?” Rhiannon asked horrified.

“We were running out of time, it was him or millions,” Ianto replied sadly.

“And you agreed with this?” she asked.

“No, and I still don't know how he could just stand there and watch his only grandson die. But I do understand why he did it,” Ianto replied. “He's lost his daughter, too. She told me she didn't have a father anymore, and I would hate him too if I was her.”

“Then why are you still with him?”

“Because I love him and he needs me,” Ianto told her honestly. “And being apart from him hurts me like a physical pain.”

“What will you do now?” Rhiannon asked.

“Jack needs to get away from here. He's lost so many people that were close to him in the last few years, and I'll go where he wants to,” Ianto replied. “Maybe one day he'll feel strong enough to come back again. Wales was his home and now...”

They were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening as Johnny and the kids returned home.

“Ianto! Ianto!” the kids chanted as he got up and hugged them tightly, tears in his own eyes at the sight of his Great-Great-Great-Grandchildren safe and sound. “We're having a party, in the street.”

“So I hear,” Ianto told them as he heard Jack's footsteps coming down the stairs at last. “I've brought someone to meet you.”

Jack's eyes looked red rimmed but he wasn't crying as he entered the room. Ianto moved towards his lover and hugged him tightly.

“Johnny, David, Mica I want you to meet Jack,” Ianto told them proudly. “He's my... partner.”

“You're his boyfriend?” David asked, eyeing up Jack.

“You could put it that way, yes,” Jack smiled at the lad.

“Okay,” David shrugged.

“My friend has two mummies,” Mica told him, turning on the TV and sat on the sofa.

“Looks like the kids don't have any problems with that, then,” Johnny chuckled. “Good to meet you, Jack.”

“You too,” Jack replied. “It's been a long time coming. I hear there's a party being organised?”

“Yeah, for all the kids on the estate. Everyone's chipping in something,” Johnny told him excitedly. “Food, drinks, paper plates and the like.”

“It was all his idea,” Rhiannon told them.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Johnny grinned. “It's a week on Saturday, if you want to come?”

“I'm not sure if we'll be able to, but thanks for the invite,” Jack replied, watching David and Mica as they played some kind of video game on the TV; a small smile on his lips as he watched them.

“Another cup of tea?” Rhiannon asked them.

“Thanks, but no; I think we need to get going,” Ianto told her.

“Where're you heading?” Johnny asked.

“No idea, but we'll find somewhere,” Ianto replied. He could see Jack getting emotional again as he watched the kids.

“Did you ever find your car?” Rhiannon asked him.

“No. I'm sure it’ll turn up somewhere, eventually,” Ianto sighed. “Although, I doubt it'll still be in one piece.”

“Highly unlikely,” Johnny agreed.

Ianto slipped his hand into Jack's, entwining their fingers and giving it a squeeze.

“Time to go, Jack,” he told him softly.

“Right, you need to...”

“Yeah,” Ianto lied. He didn't need to feed yet, but it wouldn't hurt for Jack to think that was the reason he wanted him to leave. He was worried Jack would fall apart in front of his family.

After saying their goodbyes, Jack and Ianto headed out to the car. Ianto started the engine and looked at Jack.

“Where do you want to go?” the vampire asked him.

“The house,” the Captain replied.

“Our home,” Ianto told him, placing a small kiss on Jack's lips, ignoring the jeering from the kids sitting on the wall opposite.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “Our home.”

As they headed back to the house, Ianto came to a decision; they would stay there until they needed to travel back to London for the funeral. They would pack and take everything they needed with them, then as soon as it was over, they would head wherever they had decided to.


	13. Epilogue

“Jack, you need to get out of bed. We need to leave soon or we'll be late,” Ianto argued with his lover.

“I've changed my mind, we're not going,” Jack replied, turning over in the bed to face away from the vampire and pulling the sheet over his head.

Ianto grabbed the top of the duvet and tugged it off the Captain, flinging it off the bed completely where it landed in a heap on the floor as Jack curled himself into a ball.

Ianto sat down on the bed beside him, stroking his hand soothingly down his lover back as he spoke softly to him.

“If you don't go - don't say goodbye to him - you will regret it,” Ianto told him. “I know it's going to be hard, not even being able to go into the church with the other mourners, but you can say your own goodbye privately when they're gone.”

“But, going to his funeral makes it so final,” Jack mumbled softly. “It makes it more real.”

“Jack, you can't hide from this. I know you're never going to get over what you did - Hell, I'm going to have trouble with it - but you need to do this.” Ianto pressed a kiss to the back of Jack's head. “Come on, just go and shower for me, please?”

Jack lifted his head and looked at his lover, seeing concern in his eyes as he did his best to help Jack come to terms with something neither of them would be able to come to terms with for a long time - if ever.

“Okay,” Jack nodded, sliding off the bed and onto his feet.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Ianto asked, catching Jack's fingers with his own and stopping him.

“No... No, I won't be long. Can you... Can you get my suit ready?” Jack asked, his voice hitching as he tried to keep control of his emotions.

“Sure,” the vampire reassured him.

While Jack was in the shower, Ianto laid out everything for him; the plain black suit, white shirt and RAF tie Jack coveted, along with black socks and shoes.

They were clothes Jack hadn't worn in a long time; the last time they had been laid out was when Jack had been forced to attend another past funeral.

Jack came back shortly after; his hair dripping down his face and a towel wrapped around his waist, looking as helpless as a toddler somehow, despite his years.

“Come here,” Ianto told him, pressing a soft kiss to the Captain’s lips. He took the towel from Jack's body, using it to carefully towel dry his hair and then pat his lovers body dry quickly, while Jack just stood there.

“Do you want me to help you dress?” Ianto asked.

“I'm fine,” Jack replied, reaching for his underwear. “I really could do with a coffee though.”

“Just shout if you want me, okay?” Ianto told him, leaving the room and heading for the kitchen.

Ianto was getting more and more worried about Jack's state of mind. The Captain needed to get away from Cardiff, for sure, and Ianto knew as soon as the funeral was over, they would be on their way.  
When they had returned to the house after leaving London, they had sat down, and between them they had made plans about where they would visit.

They would head to Europe first, followed by Paris, Rome, Venice ... the list went on before they would head for Hong Kong, or Singapore. Finally they would end up in Australia.   
But, in the days that had passed since their decisions, Jack had slowly become more and more withdrawn.

He was living – barely - on coffee and the few morsels of food the vampire had managed to convince him to eat; was barely getting out of bed, except to use the loo or shower in the last couple of days, and his libido had vanished away to nothing.

Even when Ianto fed on him there had been no reaction to it. Without saying anything to Jack, he made the decision that if Jack didn't change after the funeral he would seek medical help. Jack was in danger of spiralling into depression from what he could tell and he wasn’t about to let that happen.

Jack appeared in the kitchen as Ianto poured the freshly brewed coffee into a mug. He was dressed completely, hair styled within an inch of its life and he was already wearing his RAF greatcoat.

“Ready when you are,” Jack told Ianto, taking the mug and sipping at the hot liquid. It almost seemed as though the last few days had never happened.

“Jack, are you feeling okay? Did you take something...” Ianto trailed off when Jack frowned at him in confusion. “Never mind. Drink up, we needed to leave ten minutes ago.”

While Jack drank his coffee, Ianto loaded their suitcases into the back of the car. The lack of boot space made him groaned inwardly at the memory of losing the SUV to a bunch of chavs.

The police hadn't found any trace of it. As far as they could estimate it had either left the country or was likely to be at the bottom of a lake somewhere. Not that it mattered much; anything useful in it would have been destroyed, and he was sure Gwen would already be well on her way to replacing it with a newer model.

Gwen had called his mobile a few times - he'd turned Jack's off, so she had no choice - but he'd just let it go to the voicemail. He wasn't in the mood to talk to her and he wasn't going to let Jack do so.

“Do we have everything?” Jack asked from the front door as Ianto managed to slam the boot closed.

Ianto nodded. “Suitcases; check: Passports; check: Euros; check.”

“Right, lets get going, then,” Jack replied. “I've made sure every thing's locked up; you just need to set the alarm.”

Ianto nodded his head and headed back to the front door and pressed the buttons on the newly installed system; he'd not felt happy about leaving the place unoccupied for such a long time without it.

Climbing in the car, they drove down the long drive and out into the street, heading out of Cardiff for the long drive to Cardiff and the place they had both been dreading for the last four days.

*

As they stood under the tree far enough away to see what was happening but able to keep out of sight, Jack wished the bright sunshine would go away; even though it seemed fitting for the once bright and sunny child that his grandson had been, he felt it should be pelting him with rain as some kind of punishment.

Jack gulped as he watched the small coffin being carried from the hearse towards the burial sight before them in the small graveyard. Biting his lip, he tried to keep the tears at bay, until Ianto took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

Turning to look at his vampire lover, he saw the tears welling up in his eyes and Jack just broke; tears falling freely down his face as he watched the mourners around the graveside say goodbye to his grandson: the innocent child he had sacrificed to save millions.   
No matter what way he looked at it, he couldn't think of any way to make things better, with himself, Ianto or Alice.

By the time they lowered the coffin into the ground, Jack was sobbing into Ianto's shoulder. And, as much as he appreciated his lover being there for him, he wanted to be holding Alice, comforting his daughter in her grief, but he knew that was never going to happen.

“Jack, come on, lets get back to the car. It's over,” Ianto told him gently, stroking his hand through Jack's hair.

“I have to go over there - to the grave,” Jack mumbled into Ianto's jacket.

“Are you sure?” Ianto asked. Jack nodded against his chest in reply.

Ianto pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to his lover. Jack took it, straightened up and dried his eyes, before kissing Ianto softly on the brow.

“Thank you for being here with me,” he told him. “I know how hard it is for you to accept. Thank you.”

“I promised you I wouldn’t leave you,” Ianto replied as they made their way slowly across the churchyard to the graveside.

“I meant it, you know? I love you so much,” Jack told him, slipping his arm through his lover’s as they came to a stop beside the fresh grave.

“He shouldn't have died, Ianto. This is all my fault,” the Captain said sadly.

“If you hadn't stayed here to wait for the Doctor, you wouldn't have had a daughter or a grandson in the first place. Do you wish you had never had them in your life at all?” Ianto asked.

“I don't deserve them,” Jack replied.

“That's not what I asked.”

“No. I don't regret ever having them,” Jack replied. “I just wish I had done so many things differently.”

“What's done is done, Jack. We can't change that,” Ianto said softly. “You just have to remember the joy he gave you, how much he loved you. The hurt will lessen over time, I promise. He saved the world; he's a hero.”

“Alice will never see it like that,” Jack replied.

“No, she won't,” came a voice, filled with both anger and sadness, from behind them.

“Alice,” Jack said simply as they turned to face his daughter.

“I don't want you here day; you don't deserve to be,” Alice told him. “Leave.”

“He was my grandson, Alice. I had to say my goodbyes,” Jack protested without force.

“You lost that right when you killed him,” Alice snapped. “Why did you let him come, Ianto?”

“He needed to. If you'd seen him...” Ianto began.

“You think I care about his state of mind?” Alice ranted. “He took away the one thing I loved more than anything else in the world.”

“I'm sorry. You have no idea how much it killed me to do what I did, but I had no choice,” Jack argued.

“Killed you, eh? Well, you're still alive - as always - and my son is dead. Dead and buried in a cold, dark fucking grave!” Alice growled. “Leave now, before I have you removed and don't think I won't call the police to do it.”

“Alice, please...” Jack begged.

Alice shot him one last look of pure hatred, before storming off across the churchyard, leaving Jack feeling worse than he had ever felt before in his life.

“We should go,” Ianto told his lover gently, taking his hand and pulling him away from the graveside. “Let’s get away from here.”

Jack nodded. He wanted to get a far away from London as possible.

*

The airport was heaving, and for that, the vampire was grateful.   
With the fuss of checking in, getting through customs and passport control, Jack didn't have time to dwell on what had happened at the graveside.

Apparently no one at the airport cared about their Torchwood status; they were told they would have to go through the correct channels and queue like everyone else.

The very fact that Jack didn't try to flirt his way through, showed just how subdued the Captain was.

Ianto kept Jack busy while they were waiting for their flight by dragging him into every duty free shop he could find, before making him eat something. They finished just as their flight was called, which Ianto was glad about; still no time for Jack to brood.

Of course, because they were eating, they were nowhere near the correct gate when their flight was called. Paying for their meal, they ran thought the airport; reaching their gate moments before the flight was due to be closed.

As the plane taxied down the runway, Jack felt a little shiver of excitement. He'd barely been on a plane since arriving in Cardiff all those years ago, and the memory of the exhilaration on take off filled his mind.

Feeling the plane begin to lift from the nose, Jack closed his eyes. He wanted to savour every second as the plane ascended into the sky, feeling his lover take his hand as they soared upwards.

“Are you okay?” Ianto whispered to him.

“Yeah,” Jack sighed. “Yeah, I am.”

As the plane levelled out, Jack felt suddenly the weary, the events and horrors of the last ten days finally catching up with him.

Jack let his mind drift to thoughts of the vampire sat beside him; the immortal who had kept him going, kept him mostly sane through everything that happened. A tiny feeling of hope washed over him, before he let himself drift into sleep.

Ianto only realised that Jack was asleep when he heard Jack snuffle and shift in an attempt to get more comfortable in the airline seat, before finally settling with his head on his lover’s shoulder, their hands still entwined with his.

Pressing a kiss to the top of Jack's head, Ianto breathed a small sigh of relief. The very fact that Jack had allowed himself to relax meant that maybe - just maybe - the funeral had had the desired effect. Even if it hadn't gone as smoothly as he hoped, Jack seemed to be starting to move on.

He knew Stephen, and what had happened, would always be in his lover’s mind; either at the forefront, or just impinging on his subconscious. But time was a good healer - so they said - and all he could hope was it was true.

Jack would never forgive himself; that was for sure. But Ianto hoped one day Alice would accept that he did it the sake of millions. Not that he expected her to, anytime soon; he was still having a little trouble accepting it himself.

When the stewardess came around offering refreshments, Ianto refused them; he didn’t actually need them, and he didn’t want to disturb Jack from his slumber.

Ianto found himself wishing the flight to Paris was longer as they prepared to land, shaking Jack gently and whispering to him that it was time to wake.

Jack slowly came back from his nap. “Are we there?” he asked sleepily.

“Almost. We'll be landing soon,” Ianto replied.

Jack shuffled back into a more upright position in his seat, as the seatbelt light came on and the stewardess told them to fasten them.

“There's something I need to tell you. Something I thought about as I went to sleep,” the Captain told him, pausing for a second. “I need to tell you... Thank you. I know what happened affected you, and anyone else would have done what Alice did - walked away and disowned me - but you stayed and are helping me though every day; even when I was buried in our bed and being a complete shit to you. You have no idea what that means to me.”

“Jack, I love you,” Ianto stated as they felt the plane begin its descent. “I need you as much as you need me. I never had any intention of leaving you, and I know completely what it means to you. I know you would do the same for me.”

“I love you,” Jack replied, his voice barely more than a whisper. “So much it hurts.”

Ianto pressed a soft kiss to his lover’s lips. “We'll get through this together.”

“New country. No Torchwood. Just us.”

“Paris, one of the most romantic cities in the world,” Ianto smiled. “I can't think of a better place to be at this moment in time.”

“Anywhere but London or Cardiff is fine by me,” Jack told him as the plane's wheels bumped on the runway when it landed.

*

Three months later.

“Venice is so beautiful” Jack sighed, gazing out over the city from the balcony of their hotel. “It seems fitting that the first time I got to visit it is with you.”

Ianto walked the short distance across the room and out onto the balcony. He wrapped his arms around Jack's waist from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder.

“Wait until you see it at night. The whole place comes alive,” Ianto told him.

“That might have to wait ‘til tomorrow. Tonight is just you and me,” the Captain replied. He turned in his lover’s arms and kissing him softly.

“We barely saw much of Paris, Bordeaux or Cannes in the month we spent in each, for that same reason.” Ianto smiled. “We're bad at the tourist thing.”

“We're not here to be tourists. We're here to...” Jack faltered.

“Escape?” Ianto finished for him.

“Escape? Maybe a little, but no; more to try and accept what my life has become, and that I can't change anything that's happened, good or bad.”

“You're sleeping less again, which, in your case, is a good thing,” Ianto told him. “I was scared you were going to fall apart completely; that you would sink into a depression you wouldn't be able to find your way back from.”

“I have you to thank for that,” Jack told him with a small smile. “You held me together.”

Ianto couldn't help the tears that formed in his eyes and he pulled Jack close, kissing him deeply. Their arms wrapped around each other tightly as all their emotions spilt into the kiss, until Jack pulled back panting.

“I really don't think we're going to see much of this city either,” Jack said, before kissing Ianto on the neck and making him moan softly.

“I think we should move from the balcony and christen the bed,” Ianto murmured.

“But you haven't made me unpack yet,” Jack chuckled softly against his lover’s neck.

“Sod the unpacking. I need you so badly.” Ianto walked backwards from the balcony and into their room, pulling Jack with him.

“Do you need to feed?” Jack asked; even though it had only been a few hours since the last time, before their flight.

“No, just need you,” Ianto replied.

“But, it wouldn't hurt if you did?” Jack asked, feeling his cock start to harden at the thought of being fed upon.

“No, it wouldn't hurt,” Ianto chuckled softly, sliding the braces off Jack's shoulders. “It wouldn't hurt at all.”

It didn't take long for them to strip themselves of their clothes, dropping them haphazardly across the room as they slowly made their way towards the bed.

“We should have christened the balcony first, like we did that second night in Paris,” Jack murmured as they moved onto the bed, pressing his lover’s body to the cool sheets with his own.

“Yeah, but not when there's millions of tourists milling about below us. How we didn't get caught - especially when you screamed my name - is beyond me.” Ianto chuckled softly, the moment still as clear in his head as if it had just happened and wasn't three months earlier.

“Adds to the excitement; the idea we might get caught,” Jack replied, ghosting a kiss over the vampire’s lips, across his chin and down his neck.

“As if we need anything to add to the excitement,” Ianto snorted, letting out a small gasp as Jack bit down hard on his neck.

The vampire could feel his lover’s teeth grazing the skin as he sucked on the tender skin. His hand moved to Jack's head, fingers tangling in the strands of his hair as he held his head in place; relishing the feel of spike of pain that came with the act of marking.

Ianto's other hand wound itself around Jack's body, his fingers sliding up and down Jack's spine slowly in the way he knew made the immortal shudder with pleasure. Jack's mouth moved, no more than an inch, to inflict another love bite on his body.

Jack's eyes fluttered open, looking upwards at his lover’s face as he sucked hard. Ianto's eyes were tightly shut; his mouth slightly open with a look of pure pleasure on his face as Jack did something he rarely did. He bit down harder on the vampire’s neck and broke the skin.

Ianto's eyes shot open, silver looking deeply into blue as they fixed on Jack's. His hand clamped even tighter to the back of his lover’s head, encouraging him to lick and suck at the wound he had inflicted on him, before yanking his away and kissing him almost violently; tongue thrusting into his lover’s mouth to taste his own blood.

Jack didn't protest when Ianto rolled them over, becoming the dominant one. Ianto's cock pressed hard against his hip as they rocked together, while Ianto plundered his mouth. Teeth clashing as their passion grew more and more desperate.

When Jack pulled back gasping, Ianto grazed his teeth over the Captain’s neck, leaving a small trail of blood droplets in his wake, as he moved lover down his lover’s body. He nipped the skin, lapping at the resulting bites, before the Captain healed.

He moved to Jack’s crotch and, ignoring his cock completely, he pushed Jack's thighs open as far as he could..   
Jack moved his hands to hold them back for his lover, and Ianto parted the cheeks of his arse with his hands; head dropping to lap over the entrance to his body, before delving inside with the point of his tongue.

The feel of the vampire’s wet tongue moving in and out of his arse sent Jack into ecstasy. His cock ached so much for his lover, and he purred as he felt Ianto's tongue delving deeper and deeper into his body. It was glorious, but he needed more.

Jack released his thighs and wrapped his legs around Ianto's shoulders; pulling him even closer as he felt the unmistakable feeling of the vampire’s teeth sinking into the tender skin surrounding his arsehole. His whole body flooded with the sensations that came with being fed from, making him shudder uncontrollably with pleasure. He tried to hold off his own orgasm, by pinching the base of his cock with his fingers.

Ianto drank down the blood as it flowed into his mouth, his tongue still pleasuring his lover as he did so; knowing what the joint sensations would be doing to the Captain.

“Ianto, please. Oh god, Ianto,” Jack rasped, he couldn't hold off his orgasm much longer, he knew it.

Reaching between his own legs, Ianto stroked his cock slowly but firmly; retracting his fangs from his lover’s body and slowly drew the flat of his tongue across the small wounds, before shuffling up the bed on his knees as Jack held his legs wide open again.

“Where the lube?” Ianto asked, glancing at the still packed bags.

“We don't need it, just fuck me,” Jack groaned. “Oh god, I need to feel you inside me.”

Ianto didn't argue; he was too close to the edge. Aligning the head of his cock with Jack's hole, he pushed in slowly. His cock engulfed by the tight heat of his lover’s passage, made him let out a long, low growl, until he was buried ball deep inside the Captain’s body.

“Move. I need you to move,” Jack panted, canting his hips to make his point. “Hard and fast. Hard and...” He trailed off with a low moan as Ianto got the hint.

Ianto didn't hold back, pulling back he thrust back into his lover’s body. Bracing his hands on the bed as he pounded into Jack’s arse, watching his hand as it moved to his cock; stroking himself roughly in time with the vampire’s thrusts.

The vampire reached for Jack's other hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing the inside of his wrist, before biting down hard; drinking down the delicious warm blood as it pumped into this mouth.

Jack fell over the edge; his come shooting out his cock and splattering over his torso as Ianto sucked on his wrist, literally seeing stars as he rode out his orgasm.

Ianto growled softly as Jack's arse contracted deliciously around his cock before his own orgasm hit. He shuddered as he pumped his essence deep into his lover’s body before collapsing on top of him, not caring about the cooling, sticky mess as his head rested on Jack's chest, licking the wound on Jack's wrist as it healed.

Neither of them moved or said a word as they lay there, basking in the afterglow. Realising Jack's breathing had changed, Ianto carefully moved off his sleeping lover’s body, watching as Jack rolled onto his side as the weight above him was removed.

Moving swiftly to the en-suite bathroom with the small case they used for their toiletries, Ianto fished out a flannel, moistened it with warm water and made his way back to the bedroom; cleaning Jack up as best he could without waking him and then using the cloth on himself.

Dropping it on the bedside table, Ianto climbed back on the bed. Spooning against his lovers back and wrapping an arm around his waist, he closed his eyes and dozed, waiting for Jack to wake again.

When Jack mumbled in his sleep, Ianto's eyes snapped open; knowing immediately what his lover was dreaming about.

“There's no other way... It's the only way... Get Stephen ... I love you, Stephen. Please forgive me... Alice... Please, Alice, it was the only way... Stephen…” Jack murmured, before he began to sob in his sleep.

“Jack, you're dreaming. Jack,” Ianto said softly as Jack turned in his arms and buried his head in his lover’s chest. “Come on, it's just a dream.”

“No it wasn’t. Dreams aren't real,” Jack replied, his voice low and muffled. “It wasn't a dream; it was a memory I don't want, that never should have been.”

“You can't keep doing this to yourself, Jack,” Ianto whispered softly. “Maybe you need to seek some help. Talk to someone other than me.”

“What do I tell them?” Jack asked, tears streaming down his face as he looked up at his lover. “There's no one I can talk to here; not on this planet.”

“Martha?” Ianto suggested. “These nightmares are still... You're doing a good job of handling the memories during the day, but they're happening almost every time you sleep, Jack. I scared; scared they'll drive you ...”

“Mad?” Jack asked.

“No. Into depression, and I can't watch you fall apart like that,” Ianto replied, kissing Jack softly on the brow. “We have to do something.”

“I can't see anything helping me come to terms with what I did.” Jack shrugged. “I'll just have to live with it.”

“How about a deal?” Ianto asked.

“What kind of deal?” Jack frowned, wiping away the tears on his face with the bed sheet.

“Another three months, if the nightmares are still as bad, we seek help of some kind?” Ianto suggested.

“Okay,” Jack nodded slowly. “Three months.”

“Come on. Let’s take a shower and go explore this fine city,” Ianto said softly. “Get out of this room for a while.”

“That sounds good,” Jack replied, giving Ianto a hint of a smile.

*

Three months later.

“What did she say?” Jack asked as Ianto appeared in the coffee shop of a motorway service station on their way to Wales. He’d waited inside while Ianto went out to call Gwen.

“First, she squealed loudly in my ear when she heard my voice, and then she just kept babbling for a while; telling me how she'd employed Lois to do my job, but her coffee wasn't a patch on mine. And then she said that Martha had agreed to finally work for Torchwood,” Ianto grinned.

“How? How did she get Martha to agree to be the medic?” Jack asked.

“It seems Martha was more than a little upset with UNIT for not enlisting her help during the... She had even called and offered to come back early from her honeymoon to help, but they turned her down flat, apparently. From what Gwen said she was basically ordered to stay where she was,” Ianto replied.

“I guess they were worried about her connection with us and Torchwood.” Jack frowned. “I knew I should have called her, despite what Gwen said. Damn!”

“Gwen also grumbled about being nearly seven months pregnant and Rhys not letting her out of his sight. He's going to the Hub with her every day and keeping an eye on her,” Ianto continued. “The upper levels are now ninety-nine percent restored, according to Gwen. They've even managed to get the invisible lift back as the perception filter was still focused on the same area.”

“Have they rebuilt the water tower?” Jack asked.

“No. There's a new monument, to us and Torchwood Three, commemorating the fact that it was us that got rid of the 456,” Ianto replied.

“Huh!” Jack huffed. “Torchwood isn't so secret anymore, is it?”

“I guess not. But they will never know the real sacrifices made that day,” Ianto said, taking Jack's hand in his over the table and squeezing it affectionately.

“No and I want to keep it that way,” Jack replied sadly.

“Which is why we agreed to leave this planet. Gwen's bringing your Vortex Manipulator to the agreed spot.”

“Did you tell her why we wanted it?” Jack asked.

“No, I just told her you needed it for something.” Ianto shrugged. “She was also babbling on about us coming back to Cardiff and Torchwood. She was more than a little annoyed that we hadn't contacted her until we got the text saying they had found the Manipulator. Oh, and Rhys got a new strap made for it.”

“She's going to be pissed when she finds out we're leaving the planet,” Jack replied. “But it'll be good to have it back; I feel kinda naked without it.”

“We should get going if we want to get to the meeting place before they do,” Ianto said, getting to his feet. “Ready to do this?”

“Yeah. Lets get it over with, then we can get going,” Jack agreed, taking the vampire’s hand as they made their way back to the car.

*

The wind whipped Jack's coat around his ankles as he and Ianto stood on top of the hill, waiting for Gwen and Rhys to arrive. Hands entwined, Ianto leant against Jack's shoulder as they gazed up at the stars, until they heard the other couple walking towards them.

“Couldn't have just chosen a pub, could you?” Gwen asked, with a nervous giggle.

“It's bloody freezing!” Rhys added. “My feet.”

“Oh, I miss that; the Welsh complaining,” Jack replied, getting an elbow in the side from his lover.

“You look good,” Jack told Gwen.

“I look huge,” she replied, hand resting on her swollen belly.

“She's bloody gorgeous,” Rhys grinned.

“You okay?” Gwen asked Jack, moving towards him and Ianto.

“Yeah,” Jack replied as Ianto wrapped his arm around his lover’s waist.

“Did it work?” she continued.

“We travelled all sorts of places; but this planet is too small,” Jack told her sadly. “Ianto helped me a lot, but I can't change what happened. To me the whole world is like a graveyard,” Jack said sadly. “We've travelled the length and breadth of it, but...”

“Come back with us?” Gwen asked them. “Both of you.”

“We haven't travelled far enough yet. Got a lot of dirt to shake off my shoes. And right now, there's a cold-fusion cruiser surfing the ion reefs just at the edge of the solar system, just waiting to open its transport dock. I just need to send a signal,” Jack replied.

Gwen pulled the Vortex Manipulator from her pocket and handed it to Jack.

“They found it in the wreckage. Indestructible,” she said as Jack fastened it around his wrist. “Like it’s owner. We put on a new strap for you.”

“Cost me fifty quid, that,” Rhys remarked.

“Bill me,” Jack told him.

“Are you ever coming back, Jack?” Gwen asked.

“What for?” Jack replied, feeling Ianto's arm tighten even more around his waist. “I have the only thing I need; the only person I need at my side.”

“For me?” Gwen asked, tears falling down her face. “It wasn't your fault.”

“I think it was,” Jack replied sadly, desperately holding back the tears that were welling in his eyes. “Ianto's been telling me the same thing over the last six months, but... I thought I'd lost him because of my recklessness, and I'm still amazed he didn't just leave me over what I did. Stephen, Owen, Tosh, and Suzie all died because of me.”

“But you saved us,” Gwen pleaded. “Didn't you?”

“I began to like it, and look what I became,” Jack told her. “Still, I have lived so many lives. It's time to find another one; one for just Ianto and I. To try and find some kind of peace of mind.”

“They died and I am sorry, Jack. but you cannot just run away,” Gwen sobbed. “You cannot run away.”

“Gwen, you have no idea - none at all - what Jack's been through in the last six months...” Ianto tried to reason with her, but Jack cut him off as he pressed a button on the wrist strap.

“Oh, yes, I can - we can,” Jack told her as a bright light surrounded them. “Just watch us.”

And they vanished with a beam of light into the night sky.

*

“You okay?” Jack asked Ianto as they materialised in, what appeared to be, a teleportation room.

“Head’s spinning a little,” Ianto admitted as he held onto Jack and glanced about the place. “We're really in space, on a spaceship?”

“A cruiser, yeah,” Jack smiled at the look on the vampire’s face.

“So, now we're here, where are we heading?” Ianto asked, walking with Jack as he supported him.

“The skies the limit,” Jack told him, putting Gwen, Torchwood, and Earth out of his head. “We can go anywhere we want.”

“Anywhere?” Ianto repeated.

“Yeah,” Jack replied, stopping and kissing his lover softly; not one single being in their proximity taking any notice to their show of affection for each other.

The End


End file.
